Harry Potter, and the Emerald Eye
by The Unicorn Whisperer
Summary: Complete! Voldemort is after the Emerald Eye, a magic talisman that could end Harry's life! Time is also against Harry, he only has a week to find, and destroy it, but he has no idea where to start looking. Even with help, things are looking dark, can Har
1. The Nighttime Visitor

Author's note: ALL RIGHT MY COMPUTER IS WORKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, I'm calm now. This is my very first _real_ fanfic on fanfiction.net. I've posted the first chapter of this fic on other websites, and it's been well received, so I'll give it a try here. Please read and review, you have no idea how great reviews make me feel. So here it is,

**HARRY POTTER and the EMERALD EYE**

Chapter 1: The Nighttime Visitor

Harry Potter was a very unusual boy for several reasons, he liked school, he liked doing homework, and he hated summer holidays. The reason Harry hated summer holidays was because at the end of every school term Harry had to return to 4 Privet Drive and the Dursleys!

They were Harry's only living relatives, (besides his godfather, Sirius Black, an escape convict, who was really innocent.) Aunt Petunia was Harry's mother's sister, and she was married to Uncle Vernon, and they had a son named Dudley, appropriately enough. He was indeed a dud. As well as a spoiled, obnoxious bully. However, Harry did have one thing over the Dursleys. He was a wizard.

At the moment Harry was fast asleep, but not for long, suddenly a rock hit his window, causing him to wake with a jolt. "What was that?"he muttered sleepily while putting on his glasses.

A second later a second rock hit his window, followed by a booming bark.

Harry's heart leaped for a moment, but then he thought, _No, it couldn't be, what if . . . Oh, come on, Potter, there are a ton of dogs around here, and it just couldn't be! Maybe it's Hedwig._

Harry glanced at the large cage, Harry's snowy white owl Hedwig was sitting in it, with a small note attached to her leg. Harry got up to read the note, it looked like someone had written it with the quill between their teeth. Go to the window and look down_, _it read. Harry rushed to the open window, he stuck his head out, craning his next to see what was out there. Illuminated by a nearby street lamp was a very large coal black dog wagging his tail happily.

"Sirius," Harry breathed, the dog made a motion for Harry to stand aside. As Harry moved, he was wondering what Sirius was up to, the dog took a humungus leap, scrambled through the window, and was shaking itself dry on the bedroom rug. A moment later the dog transformed into Harry's godfather, Sirius Black. "How's my favorite godson doing?"

"Sirius, what are you doing here? I mean it's great to see you, it's terrific, wonderful, but isn't dangerous for you to be here?" Harry was talking a mile a minute.

"Harry, calm down," Sirius said. "Don't you trust me?" 

"Of course I trust you, but I'm worried about your safety. And by the way, what _exactly_ are you doing here?"

"I'm doing exactly what Dumbledore wanted, I'm alerting the old crowd," Sirius said as though it should have been totally obvious to Harry.

"And just what part of the old crowd lives around here?" Harry had always thought that he was the only wizard in town.

"Arabella Figg of course," Sirius said arching an eyebrow.

"You gotta be kidding me, right Sir? Mad old Mrs. Figg, a witch! That's a laugh!" Harry snickered.

Sirius didn't see what was so funny about this, crossing his arms in front of his chest, and gave Harry a hard look, "That is not very polite _Mr. Potter_!" Harry winched slightly at Sirius's tone. "Okay, I realize Arabella is a bit eccentric, but certainly not mad."

"Sorry," Harry muttered quickly.

"Of course you wouldn't know that she was a witch, Dumbledore told her strictly that she was never aloud to reveal to anyone, but she moved here just to protect you."

"I never knew,"Harry was starting to feel terrible for all the wise-cracks he had made at Mrs. Figg's expense.

"Well, think about it, where did you go every time the Dursleys on vacation?" Sirius said while pacing the room. "And why did you always have to come here at the end of every term, instead of just staying with Ron or Hermione?" 

"Yeah, you're right," Harry said.

At that very moment noises could be heard for Uncle Vernon, and Aunt Petunia's room.

"Listen, Harry, I've got to go. Meet me at Arabella Figg's house at noon, we have a lot to talk about," Sirius whispered before turning back into Padfoot, and moved towards the window. 

"Wait," Harry said throwing his hands out in front of Sirius. "I can let you out through the kitchen door, so you don't have to jump down two stories."

Sirius rolled his eyes, and nudged Harry's leg as if to say, "Lets go your way."

They crept down the stairs as quickly, and as quietly as possible. "See you at noon," Harry whispered as he opened the door to let Sirius out. The dog bounded out, but turned back to give Harry what was an unmistakable grin before disappearing behind the bushes.

Harry back into bed, before the Dursleys noticed he was up. Thoughts raced through his head, did the Dursleys know about Mrs. Figg, and if they did how come they didn't tell him? Well he would know soon enough, if he could just get to get to sleep.

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A/n: So what do you think? I bet it sucks, it will be better next time I promise! But for now R/R, please. Oh, and when Harry calls Sirius, "Sir" it's pronounced like SEER, okay? Okay! Thanks for reading,

* **THE UNICORN WHISPERER** *


	2. Question and Answers

Author's note: Thanks to my wonderful reviewers, I'll remember the disclaimer this time, and here it is Ch. 2. R/R please! 

Chapter 2: Questions and Answers

  
  


When Harry awoke the next morning, he nearly had a heart attack. It was 11:40 he had to meet Sirius in twenty minutes, get dressed, and think of an excuse to feed to the Dursleys. He dresses in no time flat, and flew down the stairs only to crash into the gigantic bulk that was his Uncle Vernon.

"Sorry, I overslept, I've got to go..." Harry's explanations were cut short though.

"What is the matter with you boy?" Uncle Vernon barked. "Petunia and I are attending a dinner party tonight, Dudley is sleeping over at a friends house, and you're staying at Mrs. Figg's house, overnight."

Harry could hardly believe his luck, "That's great, as a matter of fact I'm heading there right now, so bye," rambled Harry as he shot out the door before his Uncle could utter another word.

As Harry hurried down the block and crossed the street, he saw lying on the corner looking as if he was sunbathing, was a large black dog soaking in the sun, unmistakably...Sirius.

"Trying to get a tan?" Harry asked the dog, trying not to laugh. Sirius looked at Harry and rolled his eyes.

_Ha, ha, ha,... very funny Harry, _communicated Sirius.

"Whoa, how did you do that?" Harry asked.

_ Telepathics_,_ cool, huh? The ability to communicate with humans through thoughts when in an Animagi form, it's a very new spell, and very hard, plus you need a wand to do it,_ replied Sirius. _So you can talk to me without saying things out loud, unless it's more comfortable for you to talk aloud, but I'll explain more about it later, Arabella will cook me if we're late, and I'm not in the mood to be a Sirius Stew. _

"Yeah, you're right, besides Sirius Stew wouldn't taste too good," Harry said as they headed towards Mrs. Figg's house.

For once in his life Harry was glad to see Mrs. Figg's house, and when she open the door to let the guys in, she looked very different, smiled, and said, "Hello Harry, dear." She was about to say something to Sirius, when Sirius telepathed,

_Please, Arabella, spare me the big, black, dog remarks._

"Who, me? I was only going to say I managed to get today's copy of the _Daily Prophet _before you chewed it to shreds," Mrs. Figg said in fake innocence. Harry started to laugh, but Sirius gave him a stern look. _Don't encourage her, Harry!_

"Well, I'll let you guys get down to business, Harry, did you tell Sirius that you're spending the night?"

"I didn't get a chance to, isn't it great, Sirius?" Harry glanced at the dog.

_Terrific Harry, now I can keep an eye on you easily, since I'm staying here till I hear from Dumbledore, I think I'll change back now, _and in a flash there was Sirius Black the man standing before him. A dramatic change had came over Sirius, that Harry hadn't noticed the night before, he looked younger by years, his hair was cut and neatly styled, and dressed in Muggle jeans and shirt, and was a very tall, dark, and handsome man. Most importantly, he had finally lost the dark, haunted look within his eyes that Azkaban had given him. However, his joy in seeing Harry was tempered a serious note of concern in his manner. "Earth to Harry, yes I know I look better, but we don't have time for that, I can't believe how much those Dursleys didn't tell you." Harry followed his godfather into Mrs. Figg's living room. "So what do you want to know about?" Sirius said pacing the room.

"Why do you always pace the room?" Harry had been wondering that for awhile.

"What else is there to do in Azkaban? Have a cup 'o tea with the Dementors?" Sirius said dryly. "Now for your_ real_ questions."

"Why do I have to always stay with those Dursleys," Harry said.

"Well, Dumbledore put some ancient enchantments on the Dursleys house, like the Dark Mark Detector which makes anyone wearing the Dark Mark think the house is a ruin, it's kind of like the charm placed on Hogwarts, and then there are those clothes you wear, those Dudley-Hand -Me-Downs."

"Yeah, those that are ten-thousand times to big for me,"Harry scowled at his clothes.

" Yep, those...Well, I wouldn't be that miserable about them if I was you, because wearing them actually protected you," Sirius smiled, at the look on Harry's face, he gave new meaning to the term shocked.

"Be serious!"

"I am, Dumbledore enchanted everything the Dursleys own, so you would be protected until you came to Hogwarts, and during the summer, and being the very clever wizard that he is, he knew those darted Dursleys wouldn't spend a pence on you," Sirius explained.

"Well, he got that right," Harry muttered.

"But you probably figured most of this stuff out when you read the letter," Sirius said examining a Foe-Glass.

"What letter?" Harry asked, he had no idea of any letter that he should have read.

"The letter that Dumbledore left with you when you were a baby, and he first brought you to the Dursleys," Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"I think I remember Hagrid mentioning a letter when I first met him. But I can't really remember much about it," Harry said trying to remember something in the far back of his mind.

"But you have never read the letter?" Sirius said in disbelief.

"No."

"They didn't even show you the letter?"

"No," Harry said curiously.

"Harry," Sirius said while slamming his fist into his other hand for emphasis. "I think it's about time that you saw that letter."

  
  


Disclaimer: I own Telepathics, Sirius's cloths, haircut, and Sirius Stew, the rest are queen of authors JKR's wonderful characters.

Reviewers get a large bar of Honeydukes best chocolate, and all flames will be given to Harry to use on the Dursleys. 


	3. Pilfering Privet Drive

A/N: Things take a slightly darker turn in this chapter, something odd happens to Harry's scar. Okay, chocolate goes to: Audiaa, (Sirius stays humorous through most of the story and it is set during the summer after the GOF) krystal, herm, Demon_Child, Narnia, bookworm, and Dark Crystal! 

Disclaimer: not mine- Harry, Sirius, the Dursleys, etc. mine- Telepathics, Sirius Stew, the spells I think up, and my VCR!

Reviewers: Sugar Quills Flamers: a large helping of Sirius Stew!

_Sirius: WHAT!!!! You can't be serious!_

_ Whisperer: No that's you, and I'm not kidding. (Holds up large black stew pot big enough for Padfoot)_

_Sirius: Oh, come on guys no flames, please! You don't want me to become a person's dinner!_

_ Whisperer: Be quiet, this is the good part, nice ending place._

_ Sirius: Fine, pass the popcorn, please._

CHAPTER 3: PILFERING PRIVET DRIVE

  
  


If anyone had looked outside their window at Privet Drive around 10:30 that night they would have seen a large black dog and a 14 year old boy looking under the Dursleys' welcome mat for something, a key to the house.

Once inside Harry and Sirius started searching for the letter, after a few minutes and no luck Sirius began to worry, it was late and the Dursleys would be home soon.

"Harry, go get me your wand, we need to save time," He said glancing out the window for any sign of a car.

Harry darted off and returned a few seconds later with his wand, "Here it is."

Sirius took it, and muttered something, and the next thing Harry knew every letter from every nook and cranny in the house came zooming toward them. It was a rather large and untidy pile. "_Dais!_" Sirius said flicking the wand at the pile. The letters quickly divided themselves in to neat little stacks according to the year they were received. They found 'the letter' easily, just as the sound of a car pulling into the drive way could be heard.

"Oh no," Harry gasped. 

Sirius sent the letters back, with the exception of 'the letter,' transformed, jumped through a window on his way to head off the Dursleys. The next thing Harry heard was some very serious growling, and his Aunt screaming,

"Vernon, do something!"

Harry would have liked to stick around, and see how his less-then-fit Uncle dealt with a very fast Padfoot, but that was out of the question. Grabbing his wand, he sneaked out the back, around the neighbor's house, and gave a sharp whistle that made Padfoot stop growling, and run to him.

"Will this ever end?" Aunt Petunia sighed.

"Mad dog, must been infected with rabies," remarked Uncle Vernon.

"Thank goodness our little Ditty Duddy Darling wasn't here tonight."

"I hope that dog finds its way to Mrs. Figg's house, and gets that boy, it would end all of our problems," Uncle Vernon growled.

But Harry and Sirius heard none of this, they were thinking that it would have been a nice touch to have taken a nip out of Uncle Vernon.

_Yuck! If I had done that I probably would have gotten foot in mouth disease, Harry! _Sirius telepathed_, _playfully. He was half a block ahead of Harry due to his four paws.

**_Sirius!_** Harry telepathed. **_Sirius help!_**__

Sirius stopped dead, turned, and a terrible sight met his eyes, Harry was sitting on the sidewalk, his legs were folded under him, gasping for breath, his body was violently shaking, one hand was clutching his scar.

He bounded over, _Harry, what's wrong?! _

"It's my scar... it's Vol..." Harry said painfully before blacking out.

Sirius nudged Harry for a second, trying to wake him, but to no avail. Then he looked at the hand that was clutching the scar. _No! It couldn't be! _Sirius thought, he couldn't believe it, he didn't want to believe it, but there it was.

For seeping down the hand that had been clutching harry's scar was unbelievably, but unmistakably **blood**.

  
  



	4. The Letter

Chapter 4: The Letter

  
  


A small man, Peter Pettigrew, nicknamed Wormtail, was bowing to something in a chair near a mammoth fire place. "My lord, my master, please let me try again," Wormtail pleaded.

"You have failed me once again Wormtail, have you not?" Lord Voldemort asked.

Wormtail whimpered then said, "He was there, the Guardian, what I was suppose to do?"

"Kill him," Lord Voldemort said dully.

"You can't kill him. He is too powerful!" Wormtail exclaimed. "And even if you could there are enchantments, spells, curses protecting It that only he knows how to get through. You must let me try again. I'm sure I can get It now."

"Wormtail, come here," Voldemort said softly. Wormtail looked as if it was the last thing he wanted to do, but did it out of fear. "Wormtail, are you stupid? Or do you just like getting tortured? Of course, I know that the Guardian is so bloody powerful, but the truth is that you don't even know who the Guardian is." Wormtail muttered something. "If you fail again, it will be your _LAST!_"

"Master?" someone said.

"Malfoy," Voldemort said nastily. "So where is our little friend, Harry?"

"He is in the care of his godfather, and a friend. Both would protect him at any cost, especially his godfather. Isn't that correct, Wormtail?" Malfoy said.

_Sirius Black, that flea-bitten mutt, _Wormtail thought. _The boy will be under his Blackness's protection from dawn till dusk._

"Well, so that plan is out, Black is already with the boy, don't worry we shall do away with him soon enough," Voldemort said. "But once we have the Eye not even Dumbledore would challenge us, let alone some smart aleck ex-con with a soft spot for his godson. Now for you, Wormtail, crucio!" ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Pain seared across Harry's scar, causing him to wake with a start. _Where am I? _Everything was green, Mrs. Figg's, she had a thing for the color green. 

Next to the couch he was lying on, there was a basin half-full of reddish water, and a blood stained washcloth lay folded over its side. Also laying on the floor next to the couch was a black dog, fast asleep.

A clock on the wall told him it was 10:30 A.M., and that Mrs. Figg had slept in, it was summer after all, and she was old. But Sirius had to get up sometime right?

"Sirius, time to wake up," Harry said while stroking the dog's head. 

_Just five more minutes_, Sirius telepathed groggily. _And a little to the left._

"The time is now 10:35."

_Okay, okay, I'm up, I'm up_, Sirius stretched. _So how are you feeling?_

"A little drowsy, but otherwise fine, why do you ask?"

_You don't remember anything?_ The dog gave Harry a funny look as he put a paw on the boy's forehead to check if Harry had a fever or anything.

"I remember I touched my scar, and felt something sticky on my hand, but that's all," Harry's eyes darted to the basin. The dog looked slightly alarmed, but said nothing. "What's with the basin? I mean that is blood, isn't it?"

Sirius puzzled the situation for a second, before telepathing, _Yes, that is blood, your_ _blood, your scar was bleeding on, and off all night. I'm not sure how much blood you lost, it usually came in short spurts, I wrote to Dumbledore about it._

"Why?" Harry asked in disbelief.

_Because as far as I know, which isn't very much, curse scars don't bleed_, Sirius's eyes didn't flick up toward the scar. He didn't need to, he had known Harry before he was the 'Boy's Who Lived, 'when he was just Harry. _You really frightened me, Harry. We thought, Arabella, and I, thought that_ _you were . . . _ Sirius stopped.

Harry looked away, he had caused Sirius, and Arabella more worry then they needed right now. "I'm sorry," he muttered.

_Sorry? Sorry for what? _Sirius telepathed sharply.

"Sorry for all the worry I've caused," Harry muttered again.

_ You're crazy Harry, you're blaming yourself for something that was out of your control, you have nothing to be sorry for,_ Sirius's telepath was filled with understanding. _And speaking of sorry, I wonder where Arabella is?_

"Still asleep, I guess," Harry said.

_Okay, **now** you have something to be sorry for, waking up the world's worst morning person before the old lady! _Sirius growled a little, looking very fierce. Harry smiled, and patted the dog on the head. 

"I think you're losing your touch, an old bean," Mrs. Figg was standing in the doorway still wearing a pink bathrobe. "And what's with the old lady comments? Not teaching Harry bad habits, I hope."

_Who? Me? I'm as innocent as a baby Puffskein! _

"Yes, maybe in another life," Mrs. Figg said darkly. "Remember I was your supervisor when you were a reckless twenty year-old, and that time with the scorpion . . . "

_Oh, for barking out loud! _Sirius rolled his eyes. _Harry, ignore her. Let me get that letter, I threw it somewhere, I'll be right back. _

As soon as Sirius had left the room, Mrs. Figg became more serious, "Harry are okay? You had Sirius horribly scared, I've never seen him so worried. He wouldn't leave your side all night." Harry remained silent. "He really cares about you."

"I know."

"Arabella, I hope this doesn't sound rude, but can you leave," Sirius said rather bluntly as he came back in. He had returned to human form, wearing the same clothes he had on yesterday. (A tight black shirt, and black jeans for anyone who cares)

"You do know that, that letter did land in my tropical smoothie, and you have terrible aim," Mrs. Figg said before leaving.

"Get out before I curse you," Sirius snapped. He opened the envelope, shook the letter out, and began to read.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Dursley,

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it must be said, Lily and James Potter have died. I am sorry for your lost, they were fine people, and they will be sorely missed. They were murdered by Voldemort, one of the most feared wizards of all time.

But not all was lost, your nephew, Harry James Potter, did survive . . . 

"Sirius, do you mind if we skip over my life story," Harry asked.

"No problem," Sirius was actually glad that he didn't have to read about what happened that night so long ago. 

I do strongly advise you that when you leave your house, and do not wish to have Harry accompany you, you leave him with a Mrs. Arabella Figg, she is a witch, and lives on 34 Casket Lane. If you do not do this I'd expect you'll find you house in ruins upon you return. 

When Harry turns eleven he will get a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. ("So they knew that I would get the Hogwarts' letter," Harry interrupted again.) Harry will also have to obtain an important paper from me sometime before his fifteenth birthday.

"The letter stops there," Sirius sounded put out. 

"What paper?"

"I was hoping you knew," Sirius sighed, so much for a relaxing summer with his godson. This had all the earmarks of an adventure, Harry style. Large, deadly animals, poisonous plants, annoying riddles, and Voldemort.

"No one _ever _tells me anything."

"We could owl Dumbledore . . . " A flash of white feathers interrupted Sirius. "Back so soon Hedwig? Good girl," he said as he untied a letter. It read,

**Dear Sirius,**

** Thank you for the news of Harry's scar. I'm not quite sure why it was bleeding, I will try to find out of course, but for now I think that it would be best if you stayed with him for a while. Write to me if anything odd occurs. My best regards to Harry, and Arabella.**

** Sincerely,**

** Prof. Albus Dumbledore **

**Headmaster of Hogwarts**

  
  


"Well that was a lot of help," Sirius handed the letter to Harry. "Do you think your uncle would mind if your godfather hung around for a while?"

"He'd go through the roof, literally, "Harry said seriously.

"Hates my guts? Figures, I wonder how'd he'd look as a fruit bat," Sirius said as he wrote a letter asking Dumbledore about 'the important paper.' Harry read it over his shoulder. "I guess he doesn't like dogs either."

"No, not really, unless . . . " a mischievous grin spread across Harry's face.

"Unless what?"

"You'll see."

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"An American Belgian Akita?" Uncle Vernon read, his brow furrowed. Harry had forged Aunt Marge's handwriting, and wrote an extremely sappy letter about how she had lost her precious little pooch, and how he was so rare that there were only a handful of them left in the UK. "She'll be so glad that someone found him."

"Too bad that she's scouring the countryside looking for him, Vernon you do have cellular phone number?" Aunt Petunia said as she watched Sirius sniff around the house.

"I never knew she had one, I don't believe in those things myself, frivolous things teenagers use," Uncle Vernon said stiffly. "I guess we'll have to keep the retched animal for a few days."

"Yes I suppose, should we just throw it in the cupboard?"Aunt Petunia asked.

_ I don't think so, _Sirius edged away from Aunt Petunia.

"I'll take care of him, he can stay in my room," Harry said quickly.

"As long as it's out of my bloody sight."

"He will be, thanks," Harry said as Sirius and he left the kitchen.

_What did you put in that letter?_

"Trust me, Snuffles, you don't want to know."

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A/n: Thanks to my reviewers!!!!! No flames, Sirius, isn't that great?

SIRIUS: Yes! I don't end up on a dinner plate! Thanks guys.

Whisperer: Oh you're not getting out of this that easy, how does Sirius Sandwiches sound? *evil grin*

Sirius: NO FLAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whisperer: Calm yourself, do you want to thank our reviewers for me?

Sirius: Sure, here I go:

**Audiaa2**: Pilfer has always been one of my favs too, thanks for the awesome praise, Chap. 4 is a little longer, and has a ton of hints in it! 

**max yui: **You **ROCK**! You reviewed everyone of Whisperer's fics, and made her your favorite author! She's working hard on the Forgotten Friend, by the way. Did I mention you **RULE**!

**Foz**: Ashley aren't you happy that Whisperer didn't make this one a cliffhanger? She's really glad you reviewed.

**Krystal, Herm, Bookworm, Narnia, Demon_Child, and Dark Crystal**: Thanks for reviewing!

  
  
  
  


Sirius: It's me again, I don't know where The Whisperer gotten too . . . Oh, there she is! Yo Wisp!

Whisperer: Sorry, I had to find the disclaimer, here it is: **I wish that I owned Sirius, and Harry, but sadly I don't J. K. Rowling does, and I do own Telepathics, and a few other things, but that's all folks! **

Sirius & Whisperer: Please Review!

Sirius: but no flames!

Whisperer: _Sirius!_

  
  


  
  



	5. Chapter 5 : Dreams

**A/n: If it's in bold it's Sirius's thoughts, the italics symbolize telepathing, and read author's note at the end. **

Chapter 5: Dreams

Life at Privet Drive, and the Dursleys served only one purpose for Sirius Black, or Shadow as the Dursleys called him, they kept Harry safe from Voldemort. Otherwise it was torture, the Dursleys tried to kick him when Harry wasn't looking, but that was nothing compared to what they did to Harry. 

"I'm fine, really," Harry said as he split his small dinner with Sirius. "How many times have you asked me that? Ten thousand?"

_Yeah, sure, and if you're fine then I'm the Queen of England,_ Sirius nudged the plate back to Harry, they were eating in Harry's room.

"Whatever you say, your Majesty," Harry pushed it back. Then he got to his feet, and flopped down on the bed, throwing a pillow over his eyes. Washing, and waxing the Dursleys' three cars could really kill you. Not to mention rotating the tires.

**Harry, what will I do with you? **Sirius thought as he watched Harry flex his sore fingers, and massage the cuts. He silently leapt onto the bed, and licked the new cut on Harry's arm.

"Hey, that tickles! Bad Shadow, "Harry said, then quietly added. "The Dursleys usually aren't this bad, they're just in a mood, it'll pass. It's been taking thirteen years, but it will pass." The dog layed next to his godson in silent agreement. Harry yawned.

_Get some sleep. You had a long day_.

The sun had only gone down two hours ago, and the Dursley were sure to think up some idiotic chore for him to do like wash every dish in the house, including Aunt Petunia's plate collection, "But the . . . "

_Don't worry about the Dursleys, I'll keep watch,_ Sirius jumped down, and slipped out the door.

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The soft snoring from inside the room put Sirius's mind at ease for the moment as he layed in front of the closed door. **Maybe I'll get a little shut eye too. **Just as he was dozing off, what felt like a rabid rhinoceros came charging up the stairs. **Oh, no, that's probably Dudley. Yep, I'm right.**

Dudley stopped outside Harry's room, "I wonder what the freak is doing?" He reached out to kick the door, (so much easier than knocking, and more annoying too.)

**Step back tubby**, Sirius let out a low growl.

"Dumb dog, ain't got no brains, move you dumb mutt," Dudley sneered.

** I'm surprised you have the brain powder to speak, and by the way I'm not moving**, Sirius growled a little louder.

"He's sleeping! How lazy can you get?" 

**At least he works unlike you, and he has a right to be tired! Are you retarded? I said that I'm not moving! **

"What's with you?" Dudley said. " I said move!" Sirius stayed where he was. "Only a crazed mutt would make friends with Potter, I'm talking to a dog! I'm becoming just as crazy as Potter, I bet his godfather is crazy too." Sirius let out a sharp bark at this. " I'm out of here," Dudley waddled off, but not before trying to kick Sirius, who ducked nimbly out of the way.

After Dudley had left, Sirius began to wander around the hall, never straying too far from Harry's door. Aunt Petunia, and Uncle Vernon came up shortly after midnight to see that "damn dog" asleep outside their nephew's bedroom door. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**_"Wormtail, now how close is Potter to Black?" Voldemort asked, twirling his wand between his skeleton like fingers._**

**_ "As close as James was to him, maybe even closer," Wormtail said fearfully._**

**_ "Good, very good, take Potter's beloved godfather away, and he would come after him."_**

**_ "I'm sure he would, Potter would do anything for Black, and Black would do likewise for Potter," a horrid smile came across Wormtail's face._**

**_ "It won't be that easy," Lucius Malfoy muttered. "If Wormtail's information is correct, and Black can turn into a dog, he probably is always with the boy."_**

**_ "Let's just see how much Black cares for the boy, Shadious!" Voldemort pointed his wand at a scar on his arm. _**

**_ "He'll brake it," Wormtail snarled._**

**_ "Of course," Voldemort smiled a cruel smile. "The Eye will soon be mine."_**

**_ "Then what?" Malfoy demanded._**

**_ "If we use, the right bait Black will be easy to option, but it can't be Potter just yet," Voldemort said. "Soon, Black will be able to join James, and Lily Potter in hell."_**

**_ "No!" _**

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"_No!_" 

Sirius woke with a start. Someone had screamed in their sleep, Harry. Harry's nightmares meant one thing, Voldemort.

He entered Harry's room to see him thrashing about, screaming, "_No!_" again.

"C'mon, Harry wake up. Harry, it's only a dream," Sirius (in human form) shook Harry. "Harry!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"_No!_" Harry screamed again. He felt someone in was room with him, calling his name. He had toget to thisperson. _Sirius._ His eyes shot open, he knew they were open, but all he saw was darkness. "Sirius!"

"Harry, are you okay?" Sirius's voice shot through the darkness.

_I can't see him,_ Harry thought. This darkness wasn't the fuzzy nighttime darkness he experienced when he didn't have his glasses on. This was worse. The kind of darkness that makes you feel as if you have never seen the light of day. As if you would never see it again, as if there was no way out. There was no way out. "Sirius, help."

"What? What's wrong?" 

A strip of light broke through the endless darkness. "I don't know! I can't see!"

"Voldemort," he heard Sirius growl. Another strip of light broke through.

"Keep talking," Harry gasped. Something hit Harry, a creature within the darkness. 

"What?!" 

"Please, there's something here with me," Harry begged. The creature was coming closer.

Harry's eyes rolled over white, except where there should have been white there was black. Completely black, except for three small white dots. "_Oh my God!_" Sirius gasped, as soon as the words left his mouth a fourth white dot appeared. "For the love of Merlin, what the hell is going on?" Fifth white dot. "Harry, can you hear me?"

"Yes," came the faint reply.

Having no idea what to talk about, Sirius talked about the only thing he could think of, Quidditch. Slowly, the flecks of white got larger. "Harry, can you see anything?"

"A little," Harry said in a small voice. The creature was coming closer.

That was not Harry's voice, or at least Sirius had never heard him so . . . helpless. "Ever hear of the three-and- a- half second capture of the Snitch by Roderick Plumpton? No? Okay, it was a hot July day in 1921 . . . "

The darkness was dulling, with every sentence another strip of light shot through, Sirius became clearer, but the creature also came nearer. Harry now knew what it felt like to be blind, completely helpless, surrounded in darkness. Alone. No one can understand how you feel, how you feel so trapped. Trapped alone in the darkness. Oh, what he wouldn't give at that moment to be a normal wizard. Suddenly a flash of white light blinded him, and he saw everything clearly, Sirius, his room, and the creature. A black skull made of mist rose up, mouth wide. It was the most horrible thing in the world, like death itself, but worse. Sirius pulled Harry close to him, away from the skull. Sirius was muttering a rune in a language that Harry couldn't decipher. The skull gave an all mighty scream, before vanishing.

"You okay?" Sirius asked, he was out of breath, and looked as careworn as he did the night of the third task.

"Yeah," Harry's voice was shaky, he could see normally again, nice, and blurry. He put his glasses on. "What was that thing?"

"Hamunaptra," Sirius whispered. "It was thought to be a myth, an ancient Egyptian myths, during Voldemort's old reign, he used them to enter people dreams, and trap them there."

"But couldn't it be broken, like you broke it?" 

"Yes, and no. It can be broken easily, but only a wizard can break it, understand?" Harry shook his head. "Muggles can't hear it, you could be screaming your head off, and a Muggle who was standing right next to you would think that you were just dreaming."

"So if you were married to a Muggle, you would just be stuck in the darkness forever?" Harry couldn't believe this. It was inhuman. "But what happens during the day if you're trapped in the darkness?"

"You go about your business as usual, no one notices any difference, by then the Hamunaptra has already taken over your brain."

"I-it kills?" 

"No, it's like you're always afraid, afraid of everything, your family, your friends, it makes you think that they are the evil, the threat not Voldemort."

"It's like the Imperius curse," Harry murmured.

"The Imperius curse controls you, the Hamunaptra makes you afraid, it makes you want to join Voldemort, you think he's the way to not being afraid. If he kills your family, and friends you'd be safe. That's how he killed some of the oldest wizarding families," Sirius said gravely. "And once Voldemort lets them out of the darkness, the person having realized what they have don't they kill themselves."

Harry stayed quiet. The dream before the darkness came, Voldemort was after Sirius. 

"What did you see in the dream?" Sirius asked. Harry really didn't want to answer, but Sirius had a way of getting people to talk about things they normally keep secret.

"Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy, and Wormtail,"Harry began. "They were talking about some Eye thing, and a bunch of other stuff."

"Stuff?" Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Like what kind stuff?"

"Do I really have to say?"

"Do you really need to ask that question?"

"Voldemort is after you," Harry said miserably. Harry knew that Sirius would be in great danger, Sirius would have more chance of survival in he went into hiding.

"Well, that's nothing new, but what really bothers me is the Eye you mentioned," Sirius said.

"What?" Harry asked in disbelief. "You're staying?"

"Of course I'm staying, I'm not afraid of Voldemort, he can rot in hell for all I care," Sirius said in a cocky voice. 

"I wish he would," Harry said.

"Join the club. The Eye on the other hand is something that we should be worried about, because we don't know what it is, or how it can be used."

"Do you think that paper Dumbledore want's me to read has something to do with it?"

"Maybe, I'm guessing this Eye is a source of power, but it just doesn't make sense, what is he going to do pluck out his victims eyeballs?" Sirius, (who had been pacing, yet again) flopped down next to Harry. "What time is it?"

"4:25," Harry glanced at the clock.

"Knowing the Dursleys they'll have you up at the crack of dawn, go back to sleep," Sirius sighed. Harry shrugged, and went back to sleep. Sirius stayed for awhile watching him sleep, just incase the Hamunaptra returned. "Sweet dreams, Harry." Sirius left the room quietly, and turned back into Padfoot. **We are in deep trouble.**

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Thanks to reviewers. 

Sirius: Why am I always pacing? All I do is pace!

Whisperer: Well, what do you want to do Moonwalk?

Sirius: It's better then pacing!

Whisperer: Let me see you Moonwalk. (Sirius proceeds to Moonwalk, and trips over my backpack, and almost falls) 

Harry: Maybe we should stick to pacing.

Whisperer: Good idea

** Disclaimer: I don't own Harry, Sirius, Voldemort, Malfoy, or anything that is recognizable JKR does. I do own Telepathics, the Hamunaptra curse, the Eye, and my backpack. Everyone owns the image of Sirius Moonwalking! **

Ten thousand points goes to anyone who knows what Hamunaptra really is!!!! 


	6. 

Chapter 6: The Prophecy

**_"You've failed me, Padfoot!" James yelled, he's whole body shook with fury_**

**_ "James?" Sirius couldn't believe this. His best friend was back from the dead._**

**_ "Yes, your ex-best friend James Potter, the guy you killed!"_**

**_ "No, James, I didn't! I never meant to . . ." Sirius stammered._**

**_ "Of course you didn't, but you did, and now you can't even protect my son," James said coldly. "You could barely break the Hamunaptra curse."_**

**_ "James, I'm sorry . . ."_**

**_ "Why did I ever appoint you to be Harry's godfather? I should have chosen someone responsible like Peter."_**

**_ "JAMES, PETER WANTS TO KILL HARRY!" Sirius yelled._**

**_ "Sirius Black you are a coward, a liar, and a murderer," James morphed into Harry._**

**_ "Sirius, I thought you loved me, I thought you cared about me," tears ran down Harry's cheek. "You lied to me."_**

**_ "What?" Sirius ran forward, and tried to hug Harry. Harry pushed him away, roughly._**

**_ "Don't touch me, Death Eater!" Harry's voice was colder then James's. "You sold me out to Voldemort, Peter was right, you are the traitor!" A bright green flash came from behind Harry. He fell into Sirius's arms. Dead._**

**_ "No!"_**

**_ "Sirius wake up!"_**

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

Sirius jerked awake to see to bright green eyes staring at him. _Harry! _

"You were barking in your sleep," Harry said looking worried. He was already dressed.

_I had a nightmare, that's all, I'm fine, _Sirius stretched. __

"What was it about?" Harry didn't believe Sirius for a second.

_ I really rather not talk about it._

"You _always _make me tell you," Harry said stubbornly.

_Yes, but I'm the adult, and not to mention your Godfather, _Sirius telepathed, the truth was that what the dream-Harry had said kept running through his mind. **Stop it, Padfoot! It was only a dream. Harry would never say anything like that to you in real life! But the dream had seemed so real. **

"Are you sure you're okay?" Harry asked again. He had never seen Sirius like this, ( in dog or human form), it looked like Sirius wasn't sure he could trust Harry.

_ Yes! How many times have you asked me that? _Sirius snapped, showing his teeth. Harry stepped back, Sirius looked like he would bite him, and when Sirius wanted to look fierce he could give the world's largest tiger a run for its money. Wisely, Harry left Sirius alone. **Untruthful little . . . Oh, God, Sirius Black what are you thinking?! It was a dream, Voldemort is getting to me, Harry's just worried about me, oh God he's turning into me! **Sirius sighed. **I've already warped the boy. Now where'd he get to? **Sirius looked out into the backyard. **Gardening, painting the bench, and repairing that fence, it's hard plastic how can it break? Maybe Dudley crashed into it, that would kill anything!**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Harry's ears perked up at the sound of a dog's paws on the concrete_, Sirius_. 

_Hey,_ Sirius barked. Harry didn't look up. _Hey, Harry, Short Stuff, do you need any help? _

Harry looked up slightly, "Don't call me that!"

_What? Harry? Oh! Okay, do you need any help, Spittles? _Sirius grinned. 

Harry sputtered for a moment, before saying, "Spittles?! Where do you come up with this stuff?"

_You don't want to know, but do you need any help? _The dog's tail wagged once.

"You can dig, right?" Sirius nodded. "Okay, start digging plots for these flowers, I'll help as soon as I finish painting this bench." Harry went back to work. Sirius was digging fast, and furiously, dirt spraying everywhere, mostly on Harry. "Hey! Slow down, it's not a race," Harry half shouted, half laughed, raising his hands in front of his face trying to keep dirt off his glasses.

Sirius leaped on Harry, pinning him to the ground, and smearing dirt everywhere. 

"Stop playing with that damn dog, and get back to work!" Uncle Vernon shouted out the window. "Or else!"

_ Does he ever lighten up? _Sirius snorted as Uncle Vernon turned his back to them. 

"No, never," Harry said, getting back to work. An hour later, they walked into the kitchen sweaty, tired, and dirty. They overheard Uncle Vernon, and Aunt Petunia talking.

"You know Petunia, there is only one thing on this earth that I hate more then that dog," Uncle Vernon said.

"What, Vernon?"Aunt Petunia said in such a sugary voice that if you were in the same room you would have gotten cavities.

"That boy's godfather!" Uncle Vernon slammed his hand down on the table. 

Harry looked at Sirius when they heard this. He looked back, deep brown eyes sparkling, the old Marauder in him shining through. Azkaban couldn't steal that from him. A scream from the dining room got their attention, Hedwig had returned. She dropped a letter in Harry's open hand, and landed on Sirius's head. (Sirius wasn't exactly thrilled about this.)

"It's from Dumbledore," Harry said while opened the letter.

_Lovely, Hedwig could you please get off my head,_ Sirius muttered, shaking his head. 

"Hedwig, there's some food, and water in your tray upstairs," Harry said to the owl standing on his godfather's head. Hedwig gave a hoot of thanks, and flew off.

_Thanks, so what did the esteemed headmaster say? _Sirius stood on his hind legs to read the letter. 

**Dear Sirius, and Harry,**

** I strongly suggest that both of you come to Hogwarts as soon as you receive this letter. The important paper I had mentioned is something that Harry needs to see immediately. -- Prof. Dumbledore**

** P. S. - You can floo to Hogwarts, that maybe the fastest way.**

Sirius's face was grim, _Harry, I have some Floo Powder upstairs, go get it._ Sirius snapped into human form.

Harry came back a moment later, and saw that Sirius had started a fire, and he handed him the Floo Powder. Sirius stepped forward, and threw a pinch of powder into the flames, they turned emerald, "Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft, and Wizardry, Headmaster Dumbledore's office." And he was swept away. 

Harry stepped forward, and repeated what Sirius had said, and was also swept away in a rush of glowing flames. 

A moment later he fell face first out of a different fire, someone caught him before he hit the floor, "Thanks, Sirius." 

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, how nice to see you again, but I expected you much sooner, you received my letter, what? Five minutes ago," Albus Dumbledore said while sitting behind his desk.

"Well, you know me, I've gotta make an entrance," Sirius grinned sheepishly.

"Oh, yes, very dramatic, Sirius, falling face first out of a fireplace, you'll get an Oscar for that one, I'm sure," said a very familiar, very sarcastic voice from the back of the room.

"Mrs. Figg, what are you doing, here?" Harry raised an eyebrow at his neighbor.

"Just having a chat with Flitwick, dear, "Mrs. Figg said, kindly. "You have some soot on your chin." Harry moved closer to Sirius at these words trying to advert the impending doom of Mrs. Figg wiping it off for him. "Don't worry I won't wipe it off, teenagers! Well now that fire is free, I'll be leaving, good bye Albus, Harry, and Sirius," she stepped up to the green fire, and shouted. "Tiger's Paw!" And vanished.

"Now, where did I put that thing, oh, here it is," Dumbledore produced a slightly singed envelope addressed to Harry. "Here you are, Harry." 

Harry walked forward, and took the letter Dumbledore handed him. Sirius's eyes widened, but said nothing. Harry opened the parchment envelope.

**Dear Harry,**

** How are you, or should I say how old are you? If you're reading this we are probably dead, and rotting in some nice wooden box 6ft. under, because the only way you can read this ink is if the writers are dead. How's living with Sirius? Hasn't broken every bone in your body, has he?**

The writing turnedfeminine.

** Harry, ignore your father, he's completely insane! So is your godfather****, **(Sirius turned a nice shade of red at this)**but I won't go into that, believe me this letter does have a purpose. Before we found out that Voldemort was after us, your father, and I were working on a project called the Emerald Eye. The Eye is, though thought of as only a myth, a source of great power, and shrouded in mystery, and we believe that Voldemort has always been in search of the Eye. The moment we thought we were finally getting to the bottom of it, we were informed that we had made Voldemort's hit list. **

** The night before we went into hiding, I was stargazing with a centaur friend of mine. She informed me that the person who would bring about the Dark Lord's downfall, must find the Eye before their 15th birthday. Harry, she said it was _you!_ Harry, you must find, and destroy that Eye before Voldemort does, or you'll never live to see 16.**

**Mum, and Dad******

  
  


"Harry," Sirius asked as he scanned the letter again. "How many more days till your birthday?"

"One week."

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Ten thousand points for knowing what Hamunaptra really is go to:

**Lily: Yes, the Mummy, one of my favorite movies! And as always thanks for reviewing!**

** Audiaa2: Wow! Your friend is going to study Egyptology, cool, but not as cool as molecular biology, of course. Sirius is currently dancing to the music on the radio, so he won't be adding his two sense in this chapter, but I'll send him over if you like, just tell me when. ;)**

** Foz: Well, since I still haven't stopped talking about the Mummy Returns, since I saw it, I'll stick by my promise, and not mention it. Thanks for reviewing Ashley, and go see the Mummy Returns!**

** Itari15: Glad you like the fic, and you are correct! **

** Anjela Wolfe: Yep!**

** Lisa A. : Yep, thanks for reviewing!**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

** To the people who reviewed,**

** Nagh: Thank you so much!**

** Kelzery: Intriguing is the perfect description for it, thanks for reviewing.**

** TatraMegami: That's okay, doesn't Sirius always crack you up?**

** Tinabedina: I'm glad you like it!**

** Dryad: Oops! Sorry about misleading you, Harry was actually stuck under the Hamunaptra curse for about four hours, from 12:25- 4:15 A.M.. Thanks for complementing my plot twist! **

** Disclaimer: I own the Hamunaptra curse, the Emerald Eye, and anything you don't recognize, but everything else belongs to J. K. Rowling! **

**Read and Review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

  
  
  
  


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	7. The Centaur's Tale

Chapter 7: The Centaur's Tale

Harry's head was a whirl, _No! Not again! Does anyone see a pattern here?! I don't get a break, do I? I refuse, I completely refuse, I'm not doing it! Then why am I about to do it, go on the nine-millionth wild goose chase since I found out that I was a wizard._

"You won't be doing this alone," a soft voice brought Harry back to Earth.

"What?" Harry blinked.

"I said, 'you won't be doing this alone,'"Sirius said in an uncharacteristic voice, it was so gentle, so caring, that at that moment Harry would have done anything his godfather asked. 

"You'll help me?" Harry eyes went wide.

"If you me want to,"Sirius got an approving nod from Dumbledore.

"Okay," Harry said in a slightly happier voice.

"Good," Dumbledore said somewhere in the background. "I believe that only your mother's centaur friend knows the Eye's legend in its entirety, so normally I'd provide you with a guide for the Forbidden Forest, but I think your godfather will make do, don't you agree Sirius?" Sirius nodded, and winked at Harry. "Now, the centaur your mother speaks of happen to be the daughter of the Great Stargazer, and . . ."

"Her name is Sandia," Sirius said in an impatient manner. "Professor, she knows me, I think we can handle this one."

"Impulsive as ever, all right Mr. Black, you may need this though, Harry, it is a sliver of what your parents believed was the Eye." Dumbledore handed Harry a golden chain, with a small gold medal on it, and embedded in the medal was an emerald, and within it was an even smaller diamond, and told him to put it on. Harry carefully slipped it over his head, and the chain melted into his neck leaving only the emerald, and embedded diamond visible. "That will show you your path to the Eye, itself, be careful, and good luck." He shook hands with the adventurers, before they left on their quest.

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Padfoot scampered across a thicket, sniffing the ground, _Left, right, left, right? Harry?_

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Harry panted, entering the thicket. They were deep in the forest by now, following Sirius's nose, and Harry was dead tired. It felt like someone had attacked lead weights to his legs. 

_ You okay? _Sirius cocked a pointed ear that had flopped over. 

"Yeah, I'm right behind you. "

_Good because it's only a few more paces to the . . .er . . ._ Sirius sniffed the ground again. _Left! _Sirius shot off into the darkness, Harry raced after him.

_Dumbledore was right about one thing,_ Harry thought as he ran. _ Sirius does know the forest like the back of his hand er . . . paw. _Sirius had stopped in a beautiful enclosed glade, the kind of glade only mentioned in fairy tales. Flowers of every kind bloomed here, and there, vibrant green grass covered it. A clear, cool, waterfall trickled down into a spring was at the far left, a smooth rock stuck out of ground, and a canopy of lush leaves that sunlight filtered through kept it all hidden from all except those who knew exactly where it was.__

_ YO, SANDIA!_ Sirius barked. __

Harry cupped his hands over his mouth, and yelled, "SANDIA!" 

_S-S-S-SANDY!_

"_Sandia!"_

_ Sandia, daughter of the Great Stargazer Chiron, it's your favorite Grim!_

"Sandia! Do you think she moved? Or took a trip, or died? Or just doesn't want anything to do with me?" Harry asked. 

_Not a chance, would you move if you lived here, or take a trip? And as for dying, I don't think so, and trust me Sandia does want something to do with you,_ Sirius shot him a stern look, while slapping his tail against the ground, (Harry counted) five times, four times, three times, what sounded like thunder was coming toward them, two times, closer, once, then like a piercing thunder-clap a something broke through a wall of vines that made Harry's breath catch in his chest.

A centaur. The most beautiful centaur or any creature Harry had ever seen. She stood at about 15 ½ hands horse wise with a glistening, fiery, red, chestnut coat. Human wise she was thin, and shapely, with a soft, pretty face, big almond, shaped green eyes, and long, red hair. Around her hips, she wore a golden chain, a sign of great birth, on her upper half she wore what looked like a bikini top made of vines, and green shells, and around a silver chain on her neck, she wore a star. A little bit of a real, true, star. "Long time, no see Padfoot," she said in a pleasant, friendly voice.

_Same here, Sand,_ Sirius blushed so red that it was visible through his dark fur.

"Who's the hunk, Pads?" Sandia giggled.

_You don't remember Harry?_

"That's Harry? I would have never guessed, he's so handsome, last time I saw him, he was only a foal. You look a lot like your father, but with Lily's eyes, but I'm sure you hear enough of that. You must have girls falling at your feet," Sandia smiled, as her eyes looked Harry up, and down, resting on the scar briefly.

"Er . . . thank you," Harry, who was now the same shade of red as his godfather was. 

"Good thing, he didn't take after you, Sirius, he's too polite for that," Sandia, and Sirius were apparently very close, because of the good-natured teasing. 

_I have temporarily gone deaf, and did not hear that! _

"He couldn't have gotten permanent laryngitis, could he?" She whispered to Harry. 

Sirius leaped over to them, seeing Harry's skin pale distinctly, thinking he might faint, but just as suddenly Harry's skin darkened to its normal slightly tanned color. _Sandy, we have a little domestic problem._

"Sirius, your last little domestic problem was getting out of Azkaban," Sandia became very serious, her eyes falling on the emerald embedded in her late friend's son's chest. "It has to do with the Eye, doesn't it?"

"Yes, we need to know the legend, Sandia," Harry said. 

"Of course," Sandia leaped onto the rock, and stomped her hoof on it, ghostly green light surrounded the glade. "This is for your ears only, if the Dark Lord heard this he'd have a field day, or worse. So listen up, and be prepared to be amazed, because not even the Hogwarts founders could have thought of something like this!" Darkness engulfed them, all but two little streams of light that illuminated Harry, Sirius, and Sandia. "That's better."

_ Sometime this century, Sandy_, Sirius drummed his claws on the rock.

In a sage like voice Sandia began, "Many years ago, before the Hogwarts four, in the time of Merlin, King Arthur, himself, requested Merlin to make a talisman that was more powerful then any other of the day. But Merlin took it one step further, he created a weapon that was so powerful, that even he did not know the true extent of its power. Merlin warned Arthur not to meddle with it, but he did not listen.

Arthur sent three knights of the Round Table, three brothers to be exact, on a quest, much like the one you are on now, known at the First Crusade to obtain the Holy Grail. 

The Cup Christ used during the Last Supper, the Cup that the held the wine that He transformed into His blood. The very same Cup that caught His blood at the Crucifixion. The Cup rumored to give eternal life to all those that drink from it. Unfortunately the Cup was lost right after the Crucifixion, and stayed lost for a thousand years. 

Until those same three knights recovered it. Now one hundred, and fifty years after uncovering the Grail, they all went their separate ways. One stayed at the Canyon of the Crescent Moon to protect the Grail because he was the original one that found it, and the other two went off into the went off into the desert, to return to France and one made it.

Remember the brother that returned to France? Well, before dying of extreme old age, he entrusted his tale to a Franciscan friar, and in that tale he included a piece of information that many, even the friar, dismissed it as a old dying man's lunacy, he told of a talisman, a talisman shaped like a giant, glowing, green, emerald, and diamond encrusted, eye! That could cure any disease from the flu to the Black Plague, heal any wound, see into the future, reawakening the recently dead, and worst, but most powerful of all, kill the holder's enemy. The most important part of the Eye is the green diamond in the center that serves as the Eye's pupil for it is the core of the Eye's magic, the magic that can restore life or take it from you.

The knight also entrusted the friar with one more thing then his tale, he entrusted the friar with the Emerald Eye itself! From the moment the Eye touched the friar's fingertips he became a wizard, the most powerful wizard in existent, more powerful then Merlin. This man was no longer a lonely Franciscan friar, but now had become the Guardian of the Emerald Eye! 

No one knows where the friar went after that, he seemed to disappear along with the Eye, but before he did he prophesied that a thousand years in the future a tyrant would rise up, and kill all that stood in his path, he would be known as the Flight of Death, and many would fear even to utter his name. But at the height of the Flight of Death's power, he would be defeated, not by an army, or a heroic man, or even a killer beast, but by a child no more then a fifteen months of age, known as the Boy Who Lived. The people would live in twelve years of peace, before the Flight of Death would rise up again by using the blood of his vanquisher in the process. As the Boy Who Lived nears the marking of his fifteenth year, he, and his rightful guardian, will embark on a quest to find the Eye, before the Boy Who Lives fifteenth birthday, and if they fail upon the stroke of midnight on the Boy's birthday the Boy will die." Sandia dropped her sage like manner, and the images that had been projected from the base of the rock onto the vine wall during the tale faded.

"Where do we begin looking?" Harry asked.

"I would try . . ." A whooshing noise sounded outside the enclosed glade, followed by a crackling. "What was that?" 

_I'll check it out, _Sirius was about to disappear into the forest once again, but Sandia leapt off the rock, cutting him off.

"And what if you get hurt? I don't think so," Sandia snapped. "I'll handle this, you get Harry back to Hogwarts in one piece."

"I can take care of myself, you know, I'm not a baby!" Harry also snapped. 

"I know you aren't, Harry, but this is something that only a centaur can do, now, get out of here, quickly!" Sandia raced off into the darkness. Sirius looked like he was about to follow her, but stopped himself.

_ Dark centaurs are shooting black-fire arrows, stay behind me, keep your head down, and don't stop running, if you fall, let me know, _And with that Sirius took off at a breakneck speed toward Hogwarts. 

Jumping tree logs, dodging branches, tripping over rocks, but not falling, flesh being scratched, and cut by branches that couldn't be dodged, trying not to be hit by a arrow, or burned by one, and trying to keep up with Padfoot was not the easiest thing in the world. A sharp yelp, made Harry's heart stop. "Sirius?"

_I'm fine, grazed my shoulder, _he heard Sirius telepath, before he jumped a log, and was out of sight. Harry leapt after him, a stitch was growing in his chest, the chest that already felt as though a dagger had been stabbed in it. They were deeper in the forest, then either of them imagined. A flaming-arrow tip whizzed past, the flames singed Harry's shoulder badly, but he kept running.

Then the trees, the sound of flying arrows, the crackling of burning leaves, stopped. Hogwarts!

They more or less collapsed onto the grass, gasping for breath. 

_We should get up to the hospital wing,_ Sirius struggled to his feet, only to lay down again. _And that, Harry, is why the Forbidden Forest is forbidden._

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"Mr. Black, Mr. Potter, do you two think it's conceivable for you, two, not to get hurt?" Madam Pomfrey huffed. "Potter, in case you were wondering, you have broken the record for most visits to this wing before fifth year!"

"I'm honored," Harry said, sarcastically. In response Madam Pomfrey added an extra amount of Sulfur's Singed Skin Soother to Harry's shoulder making it sting like crazy.

"And as for you, Mr. Black, how does it feel to have your record broken?" Pomfrey asked Sirius, who was in human form. She had treated him for injures once before, so she was not afraid of him.

"I don't mind," Sirius winked at Harry. "Just keep that Sulfur's yada- yada-yada stuff away from me." 

"Then how about Bunsen Burner's Burned Skin Reliever?" 

"I'll take Sulfur's instead!" Everyone knew that Bunsen's worked faster, but it made you feel as if your whole body was on fire for three seconds so it was only used for 3rd degree burns or worse.

After Madam Pomfrey left saying that she had to unpack some supplies, and not to get hurt yet again. 

"If you were wondering, that does happen often," Sirius said after a few moments of silence.

"Huh?"

"The Dark centaurs attacking, don't ask me why because I have no idea," He sighed lying back down on the cot. "But we still have no idea where to start looking, though, we need help."

"Sandy did help us, we now know what we are up against, and why Voldemort wants the Eye, and . . ."

"No, that's what I meant, we need a different kind of help."

"What kind?"

"Loony, loopy, Lupin help." 

** Remus makes his debut in the next chapter! Jumps for joy!**

** Sirius: Moony's joining us? And why are you jumping for joy?**

** Whisperer: Yep, Moony joins our motley crew, and he adds a little sanity to my life!**

** Sirius: You don't like me any more? *pouts***

** Whisperer: I still like you, you know that! Feel like doing the disclaimer?**

** Sirius: I should get payed for this, The Unicorn Whisperer owns: The Eye, Sandia, Sulfur's yada-yada-yada, Bunsen's yada-yada-yada, and anything you don't recognize . She does not own: Harry, Dumbledore, Madam Pomfrey, any Hogwarts/HP related stuff, and she wishes she owned me, but J. K. Rowling does! Part of the legend is taken from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, ( She's an Indiana Jones lover!) so she only owns part of it, Steven Spielberg owns the rest. **

** Whisperer: Thanks to all reviewers! **


	8. Moony's Return

**Disclaimer: Not mine, except what you don't recognize, you know the drill.**

A/N: Hi everybody! I bet most of you thought I had fallen off the planet!

**Sirius: **Oh, if they only were so lucky!

**Whisperer: *hugs Sirius*** Feel better? 

** Sirius:** I guess, but I ended up getting a preview of the Chapter 8, and Wisp leaves off at a crucial moment, and won't tell me what happens next.

**Whisperer:** Sorry Siri, but I have to exercise some cliffhanger ability. And the speech the vicar says in Sirius's dream I have no idea what they say at that type of thing, so I made it up as I went along, sorry if it sucks. Okay, Sirius doesn't spend to much time in Padfoot form in this chapter, but his thoughts are still shown in bold lettering, italics are only used for telepathing. At this time I'd like to thank the Academy for this award, I'd also like to thank . . .whoops! Wrong speech! *shuffles note, hurriedly* Here we go . . . I'd like to thank all the wonderful people who reviewed chapter 7! 

**Crystal Music: I'm a little addicted to writing Harry, and Sirius bonding stories. I Miss Most at Christmas Time is also a Harry/Sirius bonding thing, song-fic style, Harry's depressed about not having anyone to spend Christmas with, and Sirius, who _is_ the king of GREAT timing shows up, and cheers Harry up, this would be know as a plug, I'm guessing. Sirius doesn't use telepathing in the PoA because you need a wand to cast the spell, and Sirius had his wand taken away from him when he got thrown in Azkaban. He was using Ron's wand in the Shrieking Shack. Mrs. Figg used her wand to cast the spell on him before he went to meet Harry on the corner, and he borrows Harry's wand for most this story. Thanks for reviewing Choices, and the Emerald Eye.**

**Tschubi-chan: Wow, major thank yous! Harry, and Sirius are awesome characters, and I always love writing about them.**

**sweets: Another Mummy fan! Yippie! I loved the Mummy Returns, too. I'll see what I can do about Fudge, maybe I'll slow roast him over a hot fire. Heehee. Thank you for putting me on favorites!**

**Krist: Thanks! **

** Sanbrine Black: I'd thrilled that you enjoy how Harry, and Sirius get along in this story.**

** Sakuya Hecila: Are you an Indy fan? If you are that's totally cool, I'm not the only one in the world. Thanks for reviewing.**

** Berkeley Halperin: Yep, Hamunaptra was the Egyptian city of the dead as it is depicted in the Mummy. Thanks for reviewing! **

**Audiaa2: Who, me? A movie buff? Well, kinda, I have a very boring life, and I spend most of my time watching movies, (the guy at Hollywood Video knows my name, birthday, and exactly what video I'm looking for! Weird, I know. =) and writing fanfiction.**

**Sirius is my favorite, too! *grins* **

** Lily: Sure, and as always thanks for R/R-ing! **

** Darth Yoda: Yep, the story fit this story so well, that I just had to borrow it, the Indiana Jones movies are my all time favs. **

** Rachel: I was having a huge writer's block, how was the Guardian going to become the Guardian, when the Holy Grail idea just wandered into my head, and it just clicked. It took me about five minutes to make up the legend, and ten more to check Indy, and the Last Crusade to make sure I had the dates right, I'm glad you liked it!**

** vmr: Thanks, also!**

**Demon_Child: Thanks!**

** Tinabedina:** **Thank you very much!**

Chapter 8: Moony's Return

"Lupin?"

"Moony?"

"Professor?"

"Remus?"

"Mr. Lupin?"

"Yo, werewolf breath!" Sirius shouted.

"Hey, and, when was the last time you brushed your teeth?" Remus Lupin appeared from nowhere.

"Ah, the furry one has arrived," Sirius said to his friend. "And a half an hour ago, to answer your first question." Sirius, and Harry had just joint-apparated from Hogsmeade to Remus's house, late two days later. 

"Hello Harry, Sirius driving you crazy yet?" Remus shook hands with Harry.

"Er . . ." Harry fumbled for an answer. 

"Why does everyone always ask him that?" Sirius rolled his eyes. 

"Because we all know you!" Remus mock-glared at Sirius.

"Sadly, this isn't a drop by, and chat visit, Moony," Sirius eyes fell on Harry.

"What's the matter, Padfoot?" Remus followed Sirius's gaze.

"Ever hear of the Emerald Eye, Professor?" Harry inquired.

"The Emerald Eye?" Remus watched as Harry showed him the emerald embedded at the base of his neck. "But . . ."

"Believe it, buddy," Sirius said once Remus was filled in on the whole situation.

"How many days till . . ."

"Four, not counting today," Sirius ticked the days off. "So, _Professor_, since you're the only one who ever payed attention in History of Magic, where do we start looking."

"Well, the be perfectly honest, I think the only way to find the Eye is to find the Guardian." Remus started pulling books down from the shelves, and flipping through them. "The problem is this is a myth, or should I say was? The point is the only written down information is what we already know, minus the Boy-Who-Lived part. This is, truthfully looking for a needle in a haystack, where do you want to start looking?" 

"France?" Harry suggested.

"France, where did you . . ."

"It makes sense, Moony, the Guardian was a Franciscan friar from France," Sirius looking through a book on magical mythology.

"But that's where most people like Voldemort would look for him so he'd leave the country, wouldn't you?" Remus said without looking up.

"Too bad that we don't have my parents' files on this thing, that would give us some help." Harry muttered under his breath. The two adults looked at him like he had just mentioned that there was a Death Eater behind them, and then Remus did something totally unexpected, he smacked himself in the forehead.

"You're a genius!" Remus said, before racing into another room. "I can't believe I forgot about this . . . I thought they were just Auror papers . . .never went through them . . . oh, where did I put them?!" 

"Did you check the alabaster jar?" a brass-bell like voice said.

"Of course I did, that's why my hand is stuck in it, now be quiet for a moment," Remus told the Grandfather clock, indignantly, while trying to get his hand unstuck from an alabaster jar. "Oh, bother."

Ten minutes later, Remus returned with a bundle of papers in his hand.

"Where were they?" Sirius asked, trying not to laugh.

"Exactly where I left them, in a collapsible fish bowl that had collapsed, and then was buried under a pile of books on deciphering different kinds of dragon dung," Remus said dryly.

"Now why would you want to learn about that?" Sirius mused. 

"It was on the N. E. W. T.s, Sirius, but you slept through that lesson."

"Well, who would have thought it important, I wasn't planing on being a dragon hunter, were you?" 

"If I remember correctly you were planning on being a . . ." 

"Moony, don't say it!" Sirius yelled so loudly that Remus, and Harry, both, jumped back. "Er . . . sorry, rather stupid career choice, I was purely joking."

"What was he going to be?" Harry whispered, but saw Sirius glaring at him, and shut up.

"I'll tell you later," Remus whispered back. 

"Was James planning to go into Astronomy? All these calculations you'd swear he was bucking for Sinistra's job." Sirius sorted through the papers Remus had handed him.

Harry read over Sirius's shoulder. **The Eye's power seems to become stronger at certain months, days, and hours scattered through out the year. According to Lily, there is only one day during the year that the Eye 's holder can summon the Army of the Dead to do his/her bidding, this date is July 31. This could be bad.**

"Well, this just keeps getting better, and better," Sirius said humorlessly, shaking his head.

"_Army of the dead!?_" Harry gasped. __

"More like the undead," Remus held up a book with a picture of jackle-headed skeletons, that were, (in a rather gory fashion) killing their muscular advisories, then sucking out their souls.

Harry's eyes bugged out, his breath caught in his chest, and he felt a sharp pain in his arm. Almost as suddenly as it started the pain stopped. "I resign as hero of the wizarding world, effective immediately." 

"Sorry, Harry, but you're going to have to forgo your resignation," Remus snapped the book shut. "At least until then, now I want you research ways of destroying the Eye." 

Late that night, Sirius as he watched Harry flip through reference books, he felt something nagging in the back of his mind that he couldn't quite remember. **James had mentioned it once, but as usual I was too busy playing with Harry to pay any attention. Damn!**

"Sirius?"

"Huh?" Sirius raised his head.

Remus gave a double nod, and Sirius nodded to him.

"I'll be right back, kid," Sirius ruffled Harry's hair, then followed Remus into the kitchen. "S'up Moons?"

"Have you noticed Harry acting strangely lately?" Remus whispered.

"Ahh, yes . . . no . . .well . . . actually I don't know," Sirius banged his head on the wall. 

"And sending your head through the wall will help you figure that out?" Remus mused.

"No," Sirius said dryly. "It just looks like it does, but the problem is that I'm not sure."

"Details."

"One moment I think Harry's skin is very pale, and he looks like he's going to faint, but the next he looks fine. I'm so totally confused, it's unbelievable."

"I am too, so this was what Lily, and James were working on for the Department of Mysteries," Remus said looking at a frame graduation picture, that he could see from the kitchen, James, Lily, Sirius, and himself were all waving, furiously.

"Sirius? Professor? I think I found something!" Harry called from the living room. 

"Coming," they called back, and returned to Remus's study/library.

"The Eye's Guardian has the power to transform into any animal at will," Harry read. "So he might not even be in human form."

Sirius bit his lip and thought, **welcome to mission impossible**. 

"We are so screwed," Harry muttered.

"You said it . . .what the . . .?" Sirius was interrupted by a screech owl landing in front of Harry, and dropping a letter in his hand, then swooping off again.

Harry carefully broke the letter's seal, as if half expecting the envelope to explode, and unfolded the letter. The parchment was glowing green, as was the ink the words were written in.

**_I am a stranger from the south seeking the survivor,_**

**_ You are from the north, the survivor , whom I seek._**

**_ You are carried toward your destiny on the wings of fire,_**

**_ You search for ICE IS is furious, for your conditions are dire._**

**_ Two away, three across, on a casket, in a white, is where ICE IS._**

**_ The time is ticking, and the danger is growing._**

**_ Listen to your heart, and do your best, _**

**_ For your courage will be put to the ultimate test, _**

**_ To finally put the Eye's evil powers to their eternal rest._**

****__ As soon as the Harry had said, "rest" the parchment engulfed itself in fire. Emerald green fire. 

Sirius cursed under his breath, before saying, "Okay, so the poem was, 'I am a stranger from the south seeking the survivor, you are from the north the survivor whom I seek. You are carried toward your . . .your . . .? Anyone remember what the next word was?"

In almost a robotic fashion, Harry repeated the poem, "Destiny on the wings of fire. Your search for ICE IS is furious for your conditions are dire. Two away, three across, on a casket, in a white, is where ICE IS. The time is ticking, and the danger is growing. Listen to your heart, and do your best, for your courage will be put to the ultimate test, to finally put the Eye's evil powers to their eternal rest." 

Sirius raised his eyebrows at this, Harry didn't have a photographic memory, after hearing something twice, or three times he could remember it with no problem, but once? "Was there any odd writing on the letter?" 

"Yeah, the words 'ICE IS' were always capitalized."

"Like this?" Remus who had the good sense to write the poem down, showed it to Harry.

"Yep."

"A little poem analyzing, I'm guessing?" Sirius said, his mind still on Harry's newly acquired photographic memory.

"Of course, Padfoot."

"I feared so," Sirius said sarcastically. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Very late that night, Harry, Sirius, and Remus hadn't gotten very far.

"What do we have Remus?" Sirius's muffled voice came from behind a book that was larger then his head, the book was called, _Poems' Purposes for the Poetic Wizard_. 

"Harry's the survivor, the fire is the fire that the parchment engulfed itself in when Harry finished reading it, so as soon as we figure this out we'll be ne step closer to finding the Guardian. The beginning, I think that the Guardian wants Harry to find him as much as Harry needs to find him," Remus sighed rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?" 

"Around three, I think," Sirius sighed. "And the survivor is looking more like the snorer to me."

He was right, Harry had fallen asleep, his head lying on _A Guide to Solving Rather Annoying Rhyming_ _Riddles_. 

Dutifully, Sirius got heavily to his feet, walked over to Harry, and tried to wake him. "Harry? Wake up, Harry. This is no use so to plan B." Easily, Sirius picked Harry up.

"Umm," Harry said groggily.

"Shh," Sirius whispered.

"The Eye . . .have research . . .can't sleep . . ." Harry mumbled. 

"Moony, and I will take over, it's past your bed time anyway."

"I don't have one."

"Now you do . . ." Sirius stopped Harry had already fallen asleep again.

A smile flickered across Remus's face."C'mon, Pads, I have a spare room that he can sleep in, or would you just like to hold him for the entire night?"

Sirius looked down at Harry as if he was serious considering the idea of holding him for the entire night, before saying,"As nice as that sounds, I think the spare room would be a better idea." Sirius followed Remus into the spare bedroom.

Carefully, Sirius layed Harry down on the bed, took off his glasses and tucked him in, a finger lightly tracing the lighting bolt scar. 

"James couldn't have made a better choice," Remus muttered watching Sirius.

"Huh?" Sirius looked at his friend, a bemused expression on his face.

"Nothing," Remus sighed.

"Moony, don't lie to me, I can tell when you're lying, you always sigh like it's the end of the world."

"You give the phrase 'dedicated' a new meaning," Remus leaned against the door frame.

"We've had this talk before," Sirius muttered. "He was 7 months, we were 21, and I was babysitting, and you dropped in because your dim-witted girlfriend dumped you, and you needed consoling. And since I wasn't at my flat you made a lucky guess at where I really was."

"You practically moved into their house, so I had a 50/50 chance of where you would be, did you know that they were thinking of listing you as another dependant child."

"Yeah, Lily almost skinned me alive the time I used Harry to help me pick up girls," Sirius laughed at the memory. "Only I would have the bad luck to date a cub reporter that was in charge of the Daily Prophet's single parent of the year contest."

"Your fake dead wife's name was Shaquillia, Sirius, anyone with an I. Q. over two should have guessed it was a fake name," Remus scowled at Sirius. "How long did Lily forbid you from seeing Harry after that little episode?"

"Two weeks, right before he got sick remember?" Sirius also sighed, Harry had come down with a bad case of the flu when he was very young, and had scared James, Lily, Sirius, and Remus half to death. "Lets get back to work," he said after a long pause.

Remus knew what Sirius was thinking, because he was thinking the exact same thing, how much longer would Harry be alive? It seemed like every time Harry turned around someone was making attempt on his life, and his luck couldn't hold out forever, could it? 

"Hamunaptra, also known as the Dream Speaker's curse, it is known to trap one in their dreams for all eternity, or for as long as the caster wishes, and there is only one way to brake it, you have to hear their screams, and to hear their screams you must care for them deeply, and be of magical birth," Sirius read aloud. 

"Umm . . .what does Hamunaptra have to . . .has Harry experienced the Hamunaptra?" Remus asked in disbelief.

"Yes."

"But how? Voldemort couldn't have been near Harry, you were there, weren't you?"

"No, I was seducing the next-door neighbor's wife, of course I was there! I knew he was in trouble before he even screamed, it still works, Moony! Even when I was in Azkaban, I felt something when he was being attacked by Voldemort in his first, and second year. Our souls are still bonded! The vicar was right! I never thought he would be, I mean it's been done a million times, it never worked before with any of the others."

"That's because no one takes it seriously, and no one else's godson is Harry Potter, what was it like?" Remus said.

"Horrible! He couldn't see, he sounded so helpless, I started babbling about Quidditch, somehow that broke it, the skull, the rune, everything happened, and worked."

Remus looked at his friend, "Nothing will happen to Harry, Sirius, if I have anything to say about it."

"I hope you're right."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sirius groaned, Remus insisted that they get at least three hours of sleep, who needs sleep? **You do Padfoot, sadly. **With that Sirius drifted into an uneasy sleep.

**_"In body, and spirit, flesh, and blood, heart, and soul?" the vicar said, he didn't exactly trust anyone that ran in ten minutes late wearing a leather jacket._**

**_ "I do," Sirius Black said confidently._**

**_ "Then place your hand against the child's hand."_**

**_ Sirius nodded, and did so, Harry gave him a questioning look. "Its only me," Sirius whispered to Harry, who relaxed. _**

**_ "Now repeat after me, 'I, Sirius Orion Black, will guard , and honor this child's soul."_**

**_ "I, Sirius Orion Black, will guard , and honor this child's soul."_**

**_ "Our souls are joined at this moment, and will remain this way until the end of time," the vicar raised his wand._**

**_ "Our souls are joined at this moment, and will remain this way until the end of time," Sirius repeated, and vicar brought his wand down, and a blinding white light encircled the man, and the baby. Golden sparks flew through the air landing in their hair. _**

**_ No one noticed the vicar gasp, as the sparks flew down. He watched as the man, what was his name again? Sirius, yes, that was it, it had taken him a whole night to pronounce it correctly, take the child in his arms, and make his way back to the boy's parents. "Er . . . Sirius, a word," the vicar asked the newly appointed godfather. "Bring, er. . .Harry, also."_**

**_ "We'll be right back, Prongs," Sirius said, as he took Harry from James, before following the vicar, thinking, 'this guy is really freaking me out, I don't trust him at all, "you're the godfather?" he asks, aha! No, I'm the valet, who does he think he is?' "For crying out loud , wear a leather jacket, and everyone thinks you're a thug, huh, Harry?" Sirius whispered to the baby, who nodded. "I swear you understand what I'm saying."_**

**_ The vicar lead them into a back room_**,**_ "I've asked you back here because do you remember when the golden sparks fell from the sky."_**

**_ "Yes, so?" _**

**_ "That never happened before, never," awe filled the vicar's voice. "There's something special about you, and the child."_**

**_ Sirius shielded Harry from the vicar, deciding that this guy was a total lunatic, and should be shipped to a mental institution right away. "Whatever, and the child has a name, it's Harry how about calling him that, okay?" _**

**_ "You know very well that you will know when the . . .Harry is in trouble, well let's say you may be able to protect him more then you know. You could probably brake the Hamunaptra curse if it was put on him with just the sound of your voice, think about it!" the vicar said desperate for Sirius to believe him._**

**_ "Have a little too much holy wine? Nothing is going to happen to Harry, or James, or Lily, they'll be fine, and live long, and happy lives, and now I bid you a fond farewell, see you in church," with that Sirius turned on a heel, pulled back the curtain, and left. _**

**_ As they walked down a corridor returning to the main church, Sirius held Harry very close._**

**_ "Sirius?" Harry gurgled._**

**_ "Yes, Harry?"Sirius said softly, knowing the boy was just saying the only word he could say. _**

**_ Harry shrugged, his saucer like green eyes drooping, it had been a long day._**__

**_"Sleep well, my godson."_**

****Sirius shifted position as the dream faded, realizing the vicar had been right, and Sirius had been wrong in more ways then one. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While Sirius was dreaming, Harry was also having a dream, a rather informative, but cryptic one.

**_Harry was in a room that was darker as the darkest night, and there was music blasting, always the same words over, and over again, faster each time._**

**_ "ICE IS! ICE IS! ICE IS! ICE IS!"_**

**_ Pounding, like a headache, pounding into his skull. Slowly Harry realized that the music was saying something else, it wasn't ICE IS, but if you said it really fast it sounded like, Isis! _**

**_ "Isis!" Harry cried, he knew the name. "Isis, is that what you mean?"_**

**_ A gigantic, glowing, green envelope fell from the sky, landing almost on top of him, knocking him off his feet. Harry crawled up to the source of the light, the letter's seal. A white cat with glowing green eyes!_**

**_ The letter vanished, the back of the seal melted, the white cat stayed for a moment before also melting away, only the ghostly green eyes remained._**

**_ Pain exploded in Harry's chest, and scar._**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**__**

****"Good morning, sleepy head," Sirius said cheerfully, he looked like he just woke up also.

Harry did not respond, but leapt out of the bed, and ran to the study, leaving a very confused godfather, and ex-professor in his dust.

"I know it's here, I know it," Harry babbled, as he crawled all over the study floor.

"What are you looking for?" Remus asked.

"YES!!!!" Harry whooped, as he picked up something about as big a quarter that had rolled under a burgundy armchair.

"What is it?" Sirius asked.

"I know who the Guardian is, I'm positive!" Harry grinned.

"Who is it?" the two Marauders gasped.

"Isis," Harry grinned.

"Who?" Sirius said sharply, feeling rather confused.

"Isis is the Guardian!"

"Who is Isis?"

"One of Mrs. Figg's cats!"****

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

  
  


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	9. The Guardian

**Disclaimer: Not mine, except what you don't recognize, you know the drill.**

A/N: Me again, *waits for people to scroll down to escape the insanity* 

WARNING: This part is very dark, the Forest of Souls is a horrific place, and Harry sees some things that gave me chills just thinking about, I'm sorry, but trust me there will be a happy ending to this story, I promise. This the only dark part really, so after this, the worst is mostly over. 

**Sirius: **Now on with the thank yous, and the story! 

  
  


******Yep, Sirius new nickname is Shadow, and sadly, Voldemort is after him. Can't go into too much detail, sorry. Thanks for putting me on favs! **

**Seeker_2000: Nah, good question! Thanks!**

**Lord of the Net: Yep! Sure, I'll check out your story.**

**Lucky Woods: Dancing cats?! Well, technically the Guardian is just currently in the shape of a cat, but who's being technical?**

**Free Padfoot: Thanks!**

***Wolf's Cry*: Yep, a cat! But Isis has a lot of pride, a lot like Sirius.**

**Kacie Potter: Thank you so much!**

**~*Dumbledore's True Love*~: Thanks, I'm glad you like Remus's new nickname.**

**Sandrine Black: Wow! I'm glad you liked chapter 8, and you're Indy fan! That's great! I'll try and keep up the good work on the characterization.**

**jona: We learn a bit more about the soul bonding in this chapter.**

**Berkeley Halperin: I totally forgot about Evie's white cat! *bangs head on keyboard* Thanks for reminding me. Good job! **

**Sakuya Hecila: Thank you! **

**sweets: Sorry, this chapter took longer then I expected, a lot of questions will be answered in this chapter, but a lot will arise too. Your mind will be getting a work out.**

**James Bond: Now where would the fun be in that? Okay, Isis does transform, but not in this chapter.**

**vmr: Thanks!**

**Kelzery: Thank you!**

**Tschubi-chan: Of course, I'll write a stand alone about Harry getting the flu, no problem. I have your greatest respect? I'm honored, I really am, thank you so much! **

**Chapter 9: The Guardian**

"WHAT!?" Sirius snapped.

"I'm serious, Sirius," Harry said, undaunted by Sirius's obvious disbelief. "I'll prove it to you."

"I don't doubt you, Harry, it's just a little far-fetched, that's all," Sirius assured him, but Harry wasn't listening.

"See, it says it right here, ' Two away, three across, on a casket, in a white, is where ICE IS.' Two away means two streets away form Privet Drive, three across means if you were walking from the corner you would have to past three houses before coming to Mrs. Figg's, on a casket refers to Casket Lane, and in a white, well she does live in a white house, and if you say ICE IS very fast it sounds like Isis, which is the name of her cat. Not to mention, France is located south of England quite like, 'I am a stranger from the south seeking the survivor. You are from the north, the survivor, whom I seek, '" Harry finished up.

Sirius, and Remus were speechless for a moment, in absolute awe of Harry.

"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant," Sirius said, beaming at his godson. 

Harry let a small smile cross his face.

"But two questions, what's that thing you're holding, and how did you get a cat from all of this?" Sirius asked.

"This thing is the seal from the letter with the poem, see it's a white cat with glowing green eyes," Harry explained while showing Sirius, and Remus the seal. "And for the next part you better sit down."

They, obediently, sat down, giving Harry their full, and undivided attention.

"The Dursleys left me at Mrs. Figg's house, again, and there was a blackout. I was in another room, or the basement, and there was this ghostly green light ahead of me, leading me back to Mrs. Figg. It wasn't until I was in the kitchen, and Mrs. Figg had lit some candles that I realized what I had been following, Isis, one of her cats. He's white, ___very _white, with these green eyes that always seem to glow in the dark, exactly like the cat's eyes on the seal."

Sirius, and Remus remained speechless.

A thought suddenly occurred to Harry, "I bet that's why Mrs. Figg was at Hogwarts, she was talking with Flitwick about protection charms for Isis."

Sirius grinned slyly, so did Remus, "He's becoming smarter then us, Padfoot. "

"Yeah, but we can do an I. Q. test on him later."

"Here Harry, don't lose it," Remus handed the seal back to Harry. 

Sirius tossed Remus his wand, and picked up Harry's that he was borrowing, and flicked it the at the fire, which lit immediately,"Right now, we have a trip to take."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mrs. Figg's living room was a black as pitch, as Harry looked around the room hoping- no-- knowing that there would be a source of light. Green light. 

"Arabella?" Remus called into the darkness, Harry shushed him.

"Meow!" a white cat mewed, bringing attention to itself, and it's eyes that seemed to glow.

"Hello Isis, remember me? It's Harry," Harry offered his hand to the cat who sniffed it, and purred. "Good boy, oh, and nice disguise by the way, ___Guardian_."'

Isis hissed, the green glow that it's eyes gave off intensified, then it said in quite a human voice, "I knew you'd figure it out, eventually, ___Survivor_." 

Sirius's eyes widened to the size of saucers, Harry's brilliant green eyes were also glowing! A ghostly, unnaturally bright green glow. 

"What do you want of me?" Isis said in his silky voice. 

"Since, I'll only have about four days to live, how about just telling me where ___it _is," Harry said, hopefully, though he already knew the answer.

"No, I will lead you to it, but ___you_ must find it," Isis swished his tail coyly. 

"And ___where_ will you be leading us?" Sirius tapped his foot impatiently, and opened the curtains to let the sunlight in. Darkness was nice, and everything, but he preferred the light.

"The Forest of Souls, which from the time that part of the Eye touched your body has been accessible to humans," Isis leapt off his perch on a chair to Harry's shoulder. "But won't be liveable for another day, or two."

"Do you mean that we should waste an entire day, or two?" Harry stammered.

"Well if you want to put it that way, or we could always speed up time," Isis purred. "Though we will lose this day, and next one completely."

"Er . . .Sirius, what do you think?" Harry asked. He really didn't want to spend two of the last days of his life lounging around ticking off the hours.

"It's up to you," Sirius replied.

"Professor?"

"I agree with Sirius."

Isis looked at Harry, his tail flicked back, and forth, "You must understand that the Eye is a part of you, you must trust that part of you, now."

Harry felt the green light coming from his eyes, wrapping around him, telling him that the sooner the got to the Forest of Souls the sooner they would get to the Eye. He nodded to Isis, who leapt from his shoulder, to Sirius's, then to Remus's. 

A green light filled the room, and before anyone felt, or, thought anything they were slammed to the ground sometime early on the morning of July 29.

"Ow!"

"Arg!"

"Yowl!"

"You guys make a great landing place!"

"SIRIUS!"

Sirius stood up, quickly noticing most of his body was on top of Harry. "Are you okay?"

They nodded. Isis climbed back onto Harry's shoulder, licking the air for one reason, or another.

"It'll take us a bloody day to cross this thing," Remus growled. "Not to mention deal with what's living in it."

"Then we best start now," Isis leapt from Harry's shoulder to a branch of a dead, and twisted tree. "I just hope the banshees aren't out this morning."

"I thought they only came out at night to claim the souls of the dead?" Harry asked Isis.

"Here it is always night, the only time any human can enter is the last days of July leading up to July 31, souls run wild, be careful, and watch your footing, they are hunting. Arm yourselves," Isis warned as he dropped to the ground, and began picking his way through the thick under brush.

"They are hunting," Sirius mimicked Isis, lighting the wand. "Hunting what?"

"Us, and the other humans in this forest," Isis hissed arching his back. "SHOW YOURSELF!" 

A black sphinx lunged at Isis, who scratched the sphinx across the eyes. The sphinx cried in anguish, throwing her blackish greyish haired head back. The cry was sounded like a cross between a lioness's roar, and a women's scream. Her face was white as a ghost's, her lioness's body was also blackish grey, half of its tail was missed. Her deep sunken eyes were like granite, hard, and cold. And dead.

"Do not try that again," Isis scowled at the sphinx.

"What are you doing here," the sphinx hissed, her voice was like a snake's, and full of loathing.

"You know why we are here, Tartarus," Isis said.

"Soulers," the sphinx, Tartarus, snarled. "Answer my riddle correctly, and you will pass through my part of the forest without being attacked by my pride, answer wrong, and I will claim your souls as my own." 

Isis nodded.

"I am neither alive nor dead. I do not wake, nor do I sleep. I am not man, or animal. I simply am. What am I?" Tartarus smiled at them, an ugly smile, before licking her lips suggestively.

"Bloody riddles," Sirius muttered, forcing his brain to concentrate on the riddle.

"A ghost," Harry said simply. "Ghost are neither alive, nor truly dead, because they still walk the Earth because they were not at peace when they died. They do not wake, nor sleep, and they are no longer man, or animal, because they do not have a body, heart, or blood they just are." 

"Damn you!" Tartarus barred her teeth. "You will be my supper, Potter!" 

"No, Tartarus, Harry answered correctly, you must let us pass unharmed," Isis said sternly. "You would be breaking your code if you, or any of your pride lay a paw on him."

Tartarus snapped her jaws, but stepped aside, "Let me warn my pride, first." Tartarus began to leave, but Sirius stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

"We may be Soulers, but we're not stupid, you're going to tell your attendant to warn your pride, and instead of telling him to leave us alone, you tell him to tell your pride to kill any Soulers that they see, and when we are good, and dead. You, and your pride cannot be blamed, your attendant will be because he so-calledly misinformed them. Tell your pride from here, they could here your call from a hundred miles away, and I doubt your part of the forest is that large," Sirius glared at the sphinx. 

Tartarus, sacred code or not looked as if she wanted to kill Sirius.

"Now." Isis showed his claws once again. "Or I shall enjoy plucking out your eyes."

Tartarus threw her head back, and screamed, a scream that made the ground beneath them rattle. "Do not touch any Soulers that past through my domain, and if you do, you will be sent to the Pit," Tartarus's voice was magical magnified so it carried throughout the forest.

"Thank you, Tartarus, you will be rewarded," Isis nodded, then lead his companions into the Forest. 

Tartarus's domain was really a barren field with littered with jagged cliffs from where blackish grey sphinxes missing various body parts glared down at them, and licked their lips.

"Harry," Isis said as soon as they were out of Tartarus's domain, and really in the Forest. "Stick close to Sirius, we are about to enter a very disturbing place, and I don't want you to be taken."

"Where are we going?"

"Dna Lofl Ostch Ildrensp Ar Ents," Isis said sorrowfully. Harry's expression remained blank. "You'll see."

"What's that sound?" Remus asked, it sounded like crying, but much shriller, more ear piecing.

"I always did dislike this part," Isis mutter under his breath.

No amount of warning could have prepared them for this place, it was what ghost stories were made of. Like horrific Christmas tree decorations bodies were hanging from the trees, the bodies of children. 

Harry let out a small gasp, fighting down the urge to barf. "Are they dead?"

"No, just asleep, asleep for all eternity, until the Eye is destroyed," Isis frowned at the trees, before moving on.

Harry stared fixated at the trees, his feet refusing to move, he had to help these children, somehow, someway, anyway he could.

"Harry, pick up the pace!"

"Coming," Harry called back to Isis, and was about to follow him when he found his path blocked.

"Are you my son?" a woman who was blocking his path asked, from her skin to her robes, she was entirely grey, and didn't look entirely solid. "Are you?"

"No, I'm sorry, I'd love to help you look for him, but I really have to go," Harry tried to step back, but the woman had already grabbed his arm. 

"Yes you are, Travis, you bad boy," the woman, though she didn't look solid, she was incredibly strong, and her grey talon like nails dug into Harry's soft flesh. "Time to go home."

"No, let me go, I'm not Travis, or whoever you're looking for, now please, let me go!" Harry tried to yank his arm free from the woman's iron grasp. "Let go!"

"Let him go," Sirius scowled at the women, who instantly recoiled.

"Are you his . . ." the woman shrieked, she had been caught.

"Yes, now get out of here." Sirius put an arm around Harry's shoulders, protectively. The woman ran for her life.

"What was that?" Harry said rubbing his arm where the woman scratched it.

"One of the parents whose child was taken away by Lurers, she went after her child, and ended up getting lured herself, this is where she was lured to." Isis sighed, he had climbed back on Sirius's shoulders. "There are parents just like her all over this part of the forest."

"Their children bodies are the ones hanging from the trees, aren't they?" Sirius raised his eyes to the branches, and shuddered, he gripped Harry's shoulder tighter.

"Yes, the parents will remain here forever looking for their children, but never finding them, until they become Lurers themselves, that women was half way through the transformation," Isis growled. "We must hurry, it only gets worse form here on in. Stay close to Harry, both of you, the last thing we need is to get lured." 

"What could be worse then this?" Remus groaned hitting his head on a child's shoe. 

"You'd be surprised what is in this Forest,"Isis said. 

Lurers yelled insults at Sirius as he pasted, trying to distract his attention from Harry for all they needed was a moment to snatch him. They despised the fact that Sirius would not acknowledge them. "Their bonded!" one cried, a shrill cry that pieced their ears. 

"We know that, fool!" 

"Get out of here, Mudblood!" 

"You can't protect him! We'll get him, you'll see!" 

"You couldn't protect him, once, what makes you think you can now?"

Sirius ignored all of this, blocking it out. 

Harry looked around at the Lurers, they were beautiful, no wonder people followed them, but beauty could be deadly. He, Harry, had almost become the next Christmas tree ornament.

"Still with us?" Remus said softly.

"Yeah, he saved my life, again," Harry whispered so Sirius couldn't hear, his respect for his godfather had double in the past few days.

"You'd do the same for him."

"And we now leave that delightful part of this bloody forest behind," Sirius ducked a razor sharp stone that one of the Lurers had thrown at him, it landed in a tree branch, breaking the it off the tree."What's next Isis?"

"Every forest has a river, this one's has overflowed, since last time I was here," Isis's glowing eyes fell to the ground. 

"Oh, rats!" Sirius held his head in his hands. "It had to be rats!" 

Sirius was right, crawling on the ground, in the trees, over their feet, were rats, rats eating other rats, rat droppings, rat bones, the ground was covered with rat blood along with more ___rats!_

"A river of rats," Remus said darkly. 

Now, Harry was sure he was going to barf, as a rat head rolled across his foot. 

"___Isis_!" the rats seemed to chant.

"Harry, show them your neck," Isis mumbled.

"So they can bite it off?" Sirius snarled.

"___No_, they fear the Eye, try showing them the fragment of the Eye," Isis replied. "Go on."

Harry, reluctantly, pulled down his shirt collar to expose the emerald embedded at the base of his neck. 

The rats hissed, and scuttled away leaving a nice little pathway that was strewn with rat droppings, skulls, decapitated bodies, skeletons, dead rat bodies that were half decomposed, and the ground was so saturated with rats blood, and other things, so that it squelched when you walked on it. 

"Lovely," Sirius said, sarcasm thick in his voice as his foot squelched in the muck. 

Their trek through the Rataton River Valley was one of disgusting proportions, and it took them far into the night, and ___no one _wanted to sleep in a place that was infested with rats.

Remus, and Sirius did a cleaning, and an disinfecting charm on Harry, Isis, and themselves so all the muck came off, and so did the harmful germs. 

Black. Darkness. Silence. Nothing. Were probably the best words to describe the place they were at now, it was shrouded in complete darkness, here, and there were twisted, gnarled, demoniac looking trees, and it was totally silent. 

"The Nothingness," Isis said giving a name to the place they were at now. "No birds, no insects, no noise whatsoever, silence is mind-nerving, but a great place to sleep. Though, it would be safer to sleep in the trees."

**Trees, great, just great, if I never climb a tree again it'll be to soon, **Sirius thought as he climbed one of the twisted, and gnarled trees. "Isis, are you sure this thing won't collapse?"

"Of course, I used to sleep in these things all the time, and I was a lion at the time," Isis hopped from branch to branch, resting at the knot of the tree. "What? I had to check if the Eye was okay, and it's nothing, honestly."

As soon as the trio of wizards, and the cat were comfortable as one could be sleeping in a demoniac looking tree, Harry, and Remus drifted off to sleep, while Sirius, and his unlikely friend, Isis stayed awake, their minds to full of confusing thoughts to sleep. 

"The Lurers are out, again," Isis said matter-of-factly. "They've grown more daring in these past days."

Sirius, instinctively, pulled Harry closer to him. Just the idea of Harry getting lured was enough to send chills down his back.

Lurers, were of course, the worse kind of magical beast out there, though they really couldn't be classified as a magical beast, because they changed form regularly. They were named appropriately enough because that's what they did, lured children from their homes, and brought them to their lair, no one knew what the Lurers did with the children they took because no one ever saw them again. The parents that went after their children usually getting lured themselves, and transformed into Lurers. Yes, Lurers had to be the worst.

"You are troubled?" the cat asked.

"You could say that," Sirius looked out into the Nothingness, wondering."Why does it have to be Harry?"

"Because he was born at the exact moment the eye was at it's strongest."

"His age has something to do with it too, 15 months, 15 years, they're intertwined," Sirius leaned back against a branch. "Why did that Lurer run like that? Why didn't she just lure me, too?"

"Harry's your godson right? Well, then you two under went a soul bonding I'm guessing, there's a special magic that connects you to him. She sensed it, that's why she ran. It's not like you were a name that was just picked out of a hat or some guy they owed a favor, James Potter deemed you worthy to protect his son, and that's a decision that should not be taken lightly."

Sirius was about to say that he'd never take his responsibility as Harry's godfather lightly, but Isis pointed it out first.

"Of course you'd never take it lightly, I'm just pointing out how important a part you play in his life, I've seen him grow up deprived of love, friendship, and a person to confide in, you fill that void. You are, forgive the expression, but the only father he's ever known."

Sirius raised his head to look the cat straight in the eye.

Soft chocolate brown met glowing emerald green.

"Watch over him, he's something that you don't come across every wand wave," Isis said before climbing to a higher branch, the conversation was over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun rose the next morning, a black, charred, sun that gave off no light, as if taunting Harry, blatantly saying this is your last day to live, hope you enjoy it.

Wind that smelled of sulfur blew his hair back, revealing his scar, his eyes were glowing again, but this time duller. 

Harry groaned softly, he felt sick, very sick, all he wanted to do was go back to sleep. He felt like his life was leaving his body.

"Do you feel alright, Harry?" Remus asked.

"I'm fine," Harry answered, holding back the pain in his voice. 

"The Eye's power is getting to him," Isis purred, noticing Remus putting a hand on Harry's forehead. "One moment."

"Excuse me?" Remus frowned at the heat radiating from the boy.

"As the Eye becomes stronger Harry may experience some side-effects," Isis pressed a paw on Harry's forehead. Ridding him of the fever. 

"Thanks," Harry said, he looked much better, but his eyes were still dull.

"Today, we pass through the Nothingness, and the Graves, finally arriving at Merlin's Tower, the exact place where Merlin created the Eye," Isis said, then added, "Hopefully before midnight." 

The sick feeling came back to Harry as he was climbing down the tree, he slid about five feet, before grabbing a branch, and regaining his balance.

"Harry? You okay?" there was a panicky edge to Sirius's voice from the ground.

"Yep, just lost my balance for a sec," Harry continued his descent from the twisted tree. They started out into the Nothingness.

Silence isn't as golden as some think, it's downright annoying! They all began talking very loudly just to make sure they hadn't gone deaf. Sirius, and Remus had lit their wands to their fullest extent, barely breaching in the never-ending darkness. They had been walking for three hours when they found their path blocked.

"Another tree," Harry groaned, as he stared at the black tree that had fallen right across their path. He was beginning to hate trees. 

They climbed over the trunk, and jumped from the top. Harry landed overbalanced, and stumbled a few steps.

The truth was Harry hadn't stumbled because he was overbalanced, it was because it felt like someone had stabbed a knife in his side, then swiftly taken it out. The pain was real, his hand went to his side, blood was soaking through his dark blue shirt.

He blinked.

The blood was gone, but the pain was still there.

"Harry," Sirius took the hand that was a moment ago covered in blood, and examined it carefully, with a gentleness that Harry had never felt before. 

"It is growing stronger," Isis started backing up. "We must get going, before it tries to effect him again."

Remus held his wand higher, "There's a patch of fog coming in."

"It's not fog," Isis's voice quivered, "It's banshees."

"Banshees?" Harry said sharply.

"Yes, now time to run," Isis's fur began to stand up straight. 

Before anyone could utter another word, a shriek wailed through the air, and at least a thousand others echoed it. 

"RUN!" Isis bounded across the Nothingness, the humans following him. 

The shrieks grew in volume, making their brains rattle, their ear drums pound, their brains ___were_ melting inside their skulls.

Isis swerved into a gully, the wizards leapt in after him. Almost as soon as they entered the gully, the wailing stopped. 

"A misnomer," Sirius snapped, rubbing his skull. "This place isn't Nothingness, it's a bloody misnomer!"

"A what?" Harry asked.

"It's the opposite of what it sounds like, it's not Nothingness if banshees live here, it's ___bloody Bansheeville_!" Sirius rounded on Isis. "And ___you! _Did you know about this little sing-a-long that almost fried our brains?"

"I forgot about this place, it's not the Nothingness, it's er . . .Bansheeville."

A look of complete astonishment covered Sirius's face, before he . . .laughed. The same crazed laugh that he had laughed nearly 14 years ago. "You f-f-for-g-g-got? Oh, that's funny, really it is, is there any other things you've ___forgotten_ over the years?"

"___No!_" Isis hissed, his ___sharp_ claws were showing.

"Sirius, Isis calm down," Remus warned. "No one's perfect, Sirius, you know that better then anyone here." Sirius blushed scarlet. "It's nearing noon, as we speak, and we don't know how much more of Bansheeville we have to walk through, so I suggest we get going. Isis, you take the lead." 

Harry, Sirius, and Isis stared at Remus. 

"Let's go, chop chop," Remus started climb out of the gully. Isis, Harry, and Sirius scrambled after him. 

They had, apparently, ran straight to the heart of Bansheeville in their escape from the Bansheeville choir. As they walked Harry felt his scar tingle several times, but shrugged it off. Oh! Only if Harry had looked behind him once! Just once! Once when he felt his scar tingle, he would have seen a banshee pointing out a tower to something or someone. 

The sun was now beginning to set, Sirius, Remus, and Isis's five o'clock shadows had lengthened, and the smell of decaying flesh hit Harry's nostrils like a ton of bricks, "The Graves, I'm guessing."

The ground was not made of dirt, or stone, but of ashes, and tears. Mammoth headstones rose up from the ground like mountains. The air, was of course filled with the scent of decaying bodies. 

"Well, this looks like such a cheery place, doesn't it?" Remus said, playing the light of his wand over the graves. 

CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAK!!!!!!!!!! 

The plots of ashes at their feet were being dug up, from the inside! Out from the ashes came skeletal hands, then the heads, then the upper body, torsos, lower body, legs, and finally they were fully out. Skeletons with bits of flesh still hanging from their bones.

"Who the hell are these guys?" Sirius said sardonically, drawing Harry's wand. "These fear the Eye, right?"

"Yes, and no," Isis did a little side-step. "Right now they do . . ." 

The sun suddenly went out as if it was a flashlight that had been flicked off.

The skeletons reached back down into their graves, and pulled out swords, daggers, shields, and battleaxes. These skeletons were an army of Camelot! 

"And now they don't."

"This should be easy enough, we can actually curse these guys, ___Impedimenta!_" Sirius said just above a whisper, and the nearest skeleton stopped dead. "See?"

The skeleton shook it's head as if shaking the spell off, and continued marching.

"They are immune to all magic except the Eye, it's the only way of controlling them," Isis said. 

"Well, thanks for telling me," Sirius shoved the wand back in his pocket. "This should be fun." He threw a punch at one of the skeletons, knocking it's head off. It kept walking, raising it's battle-axe. "Nuh uh!" He jumped to the side, the axe barely missing his leg. 

"STOP!" Harry commanded.

The army skidded to a halt.

"I didn't mean . . .I was joking," Harry stared at the stationary knights.

Isis nodded, knowingly, at Harry. "Shall we continue?" 

"I guess," Harry followed Isis.

Sirius, and Remus were whispering in hushed tones behind them. 

"Something is up, Isis isn't telling us something," Sirius said, stubbornly.

"I have a bad feeling that James, and Lily found out more then they thought they did, they stumbled onto something serious, here," Remus mumbled. "Did you read the part when at midnight a stream of green light would shoot down from Sirius, the star not you, and hit the Eye's core activating it to summon the Army of the Dead?"

Harry concentrated on catching snatches of their conversation, ignoring the growing pain in his chest. An hour later, Harry felt horrible, his head ached, every bone in his body was in pain. 

Sleep, his mind begged. Sleep, and the pain will go away.

"Yes," Harry mumbled as he felt his knees buckle, and he fell to the ground. And he knew no more.

"Harry?" Sirius gasped, kneeling next to his collapsed godson, shaking him.

"Oh no!" Isis smacked himself in the forehead. 

"What?!" Remus snapped.

"You have to get him to the tower ___now_!" Isis said, panicking. 

"Why?" Sirius asked, pulling Harry's head into his lap.

"Because he was born the at the ___exact _moment that the Eye was at it's strongest, upon the stroke of midnight."

Now Sirius understood, until now the Eye had been slowly swiping the life from Harry, and unless he got into that tower within the next two minutes, just like in the dream he had had back on Privet Drive, Harry would die in his godfather's arms.


	10. The Race Against Time

Disclaimer: Not mine, except what you don't recognize, you know the drill. Please don't hurt me for this chapter. *ducks flying garbage*

**Chapter 10: The Race Against Time**

"How far is it? To the tower," Sirius asked urgently, glancing at the rickety, old tower that loomed over the tree tops. 

"A mile," Isis stared intently at the tower. 

Sirius nodded, scooped Harry's half lifeless body in his arms, and ran for his godson's life. 

Few people on Earth could compete with Sirius Black's physical prowness, his speed was incredible, his legs seemed to eat up the ground. He could have won any race on earth . . . 

. . . with one exception, a thunderous gong sounded throughout the forest, ten seconds till midnight. 

Harry's heart was slowing down, his chest barely raising.

**C'mon Black run, almost there**, Sirius ran harder.

Nine seconds . . . .

The tower was only a few yards away, as the gong rang, only eight seconds left. 

Seven . . .Six. .. 

The gong was still ringing, the dog-star was speeding along its celestial path threatening to take the life from an innocent boy.

Five . . .Four . . .Three . . .

Sirius, precious cargo in his arms, vaulted up the stairs, past the stone columns, and hurled himself, and Harry, through the entryway.

A half a second later a the dog-star was positioned over the top-most window, and green light shot down through the darkness, and hit the pedestal where the Emerald Eye sat, illuminating th entire tower in a ghostly green light.

On the tower floor, in a pile, lay godfather, and godson, panting, wrung out like dishrags. 

Sirius, breathing heavily, smiled as Harry opened his eyes, he was alive. They had made it in time. "You know, it's not always easy, being a godfather."

"Yeah, but you're really good at it," Harry gasped.

Sirius pulled Harry close, hugging him. The Azkaban escapee's eyes that had been harden by his adventures, were closed, and moist, hugging Harry, fiercely, and thanked God. 

In the mist of the hug, the golden chain around Harry's neck fell off, and hit the floor with a metallic clink. 

Harry tossed the part of the Eye, disgustedly, away. It skidded across the entryway, and stopped under a half collapsed column.

"Should we wait outside?" Harry suggested. "Remus, and Isis are probably worried about us."

"Yeah, go ahead, I'll be right there,"Sirius got slowly to his feet, his back to the wall.

Harry started walking toward the entrance, but stopped dead when he heard a noise. He whirled around to see . . .

. . .Sirius raised an eyebrow at Harry's wide-eyed, horrified expression.

"_No!_" Harry screamed as . . . 

. . .a silver dagger plunged into Black's back, a short balding man, Wormtail, cackled as he pulled the dagger swiftly out, and Black fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

  
  



	11. The Emerald Eye

Disclaimer: Not mine, except what you don't recognize, you know the drill. Some things people may say, or some of their situations may resemble scenes/lines from the Mummy Returns, Stephen Sommers has the rights to them, not I.

**Special Thanks to my Beta Reader: ~*Dumbledore's True Love*~**

**Chapter 11: The Emerald Eye**

"No!" Harry cried again, rushing to Sirius's side.

"Harry?" Sirius gasped, the color leaving his face.

"Sirius! Oh, God . . . oh God, Sirius," Harry fought against the tears that had welled up in his eyes. 

"Shh . . .easy, I'll be okay," Sirius put his hand against Harry's cheek, and stroked it, while trying to keep all trances of pain out of his voice. "I'll be okay, buddy."

All Harry could do was nod. 

"Harry? Sirius?" Remus, and Isis ran into the rickety old tower. 

"Sirius," all the color left Remus' face when he saw a terrible sight, Sirius lying in a pool of crimson blood.

"Oh, God, Harry what happened?" he asked kneeling next to Sirius.

"Wormtail stabbed him," Harry explained, holding Sirius's hand.

Remus turned, slowly, to see the shriveling little coward holding a blood stained silver dagger in his right hand, and hiding behind a dark robed man. "You!" he sneered at Wormtail, his voice dripping with hatred. 

"Remus, what are we going to do? He's going to be all right, isn't he?" Harry, suddenly felt very small, and very helpless. 

Remus inspected Sirius's injures, and shook his head, sadly, blinking back his own tears. "The dagger had a poisoned tip." 

Harry felt a single tear roll down his cheek. He did not realize that the dark robed man was speaking to him, until he heard his name.

"Not all is lost, Harry," a dark robed man hissed. "The Emerald Eye can save him, it's the only way you can save your godfather, now. It's time to ask yourself do you have the courage to face the ultimate test?"

Harry understood, the Emerald Eye could heal any, and all wounds, it was Sirius's only hope. He turned to face the robed man, "What do you mean, why can't you get the Eye yourself, Voldemort?"

"Because there is only one person on Earth that all the pieces of the Eye's core in their possession," Voldemort said, calmly. "And can restore them to the Eye without getting their hand burned off."

Harry, his face set, adrenaline pumping, grabbed his wand, and headed toward the tower stairs. He stopped, turned, and slammed Wormtail against a wall, "If anything happens to Sirius, or Remus, while I'm gone, I will kill you with my bare hands."

Wormtail stuttered for a moment once Harry let him go, and fell to the floor in a heap.

Harry tested the rotting wooden stairs, before ascending them, wand ready.

As Harry climbed the steep, winding staircase he noticed that the green light that filled the tower became lighter the higher he climbed. The giant spider webs that hung from the rafters were neon green. 

"Hello, Harry!" a voice next to his ear said.

"Ahh!" Harry jumped, and the step he was standing on gave way. Like an apple ready to fall from its tree, Harry hung from the edge of the stone landing, he slowly pulled himself up back onto solid ground, panting. "Isis! Don't do that again!"

"Sorry, Harry, but I thought you would have been expecting me," the cat said, slyly.

"Well, sort of," Harry got to his feet, grateful that the next flight of stairs was made of stone, not wood. 

"Do you know where the three parts of the core are?" Isis walked alongside Harry.

"Three? I only have two," Harry took out the seal from his jeans' pocket, the white wax cat's green eyes were glowing. 

"Two?" Isis snapped. "You had all three when you entered the tower."

"I only have the seal, it was the only thing you sent me," Harry batted a cobweb away.

Isis nodded solemnly. "Perhaps, it is for the best, are you ready for the ultimate test?"

"I think so, you couldn't give me any hints, could you?" Harry asked hopefully.

"No, that would be cheating, hurry along now," with that Isis disappeared.

Harry quickened his pace, his heart pounding, he soon came to a heavy wooden door. This had to be the way to the ultimate test. What would the ultimate test be? Would he have to battle a fearsome beast, or would he have to duel with a wizard? What was that sound?

Carefully, wand ready to curse whatever was guarding the Eye, he opened the door, and what he saw made him drop his wand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile . . .

Remus watched helplessly as Sirius slipped in, and out of consciousness. "Hang on just a little longer, Padfoot."

"Ahh!" a scream came from the stairway. Harry!

Sirius thrashed about as if he knew Harry was in trouble. 

"Easy, Sirius, stay still," Remus commanded, holding Sirius down. He felt something brush up against his hand, it was the chain with the golden medal, and little piece of the Eye that Harry had been wearing. For some strange reason Remus pocketed it.

A moment later a plank of wood fell to the ground, narrowly missing Wormtail, and shattering into splinters.

"It couldn't have hit you, could it, rat?" Remus snarled, sounding very wolfish. 

"Watch your step, werewolf, I don't like people who insult my servants," Voldemort twirled his wand through his fingers.

Remus glared defiantly, at Lord Voldemort.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The reason Harry dropped his wand was that inside this room was not a fearsome beast, or an all-powerful wizard waiting to duel, but a cozy family room with a roaring fire crackling merrily.

"Well, well, who do we have here?" said a tall, thin, but handsome man with disheveled black hair, and thick black glasses that covered large midnight blue eyes. 

"Dad!" Harry said, astounded. 

"And you are?" James said blankly.

"Harry! Your son!" Harry was a little shocked. His father didn't know his own son. 

"Oh! You!" James's handsome face contorted into an ugly scowled that sent shivers down Harry's back.

The door slammed shut.

"You have some nerve, boy," James shook his head disdainfully.

"What are you talking about, Dad?" Harry implored, had his father lost his mind?

In one swift, graceful motion James crossed the room to where Harry was standing. That's when Harry saw it, lying on a marble pedestal was red velvet pillow, and on that pillow was the Emerald Eye itself! A diamond, and emerald incrusted orb, about the size of Uncle Vernon's massive fist, glittering in the moonlight. There was a gaping hole where the Eye's pupil was supposed to be. 

James got right up in his son's face, and said barely above a whisper. "So you're the boy who killed me."

"What!?" Harry yelled, backing away from his father. 

"You know you did, you've known it from the second you learned about your real past, Voldemort was after you, not me," James sneered, sounding incredibly like Uncle Vernon. "Voldemort wanted to kill you, and only you, you were the only one in his way."

"What do you mean, 'I was the only one in his way'?" Harry snapped, but continued backing away, but there was no place to go, his back was against the door.

"You were born exactly at midnight, until you were born Voldemort was the only one who could control the Eye, that's why we were researching it, so he didn't get it, and take over the world. But then you were born, and the whole project shifted gears, and now we had to find the Eye so Voldemort didn't come after you! Do you get me? Or would you like me to explain it again?" James slammed a fist against the wall, denting one of the stones. 

Harry nodded, Voldemort was born a minute after midnight, and until he, Harry, had come along Voldemort had been able to control the Eye, and in the event Harry died, Voldemort would be able to control the Eye once again. "Did Voldemort go after the Eye the night I was born?" 

"Catch on quick, don't we?" James said sarcastically. "Yes, and got his hand burned off in the process, you served one purpose, you brought the wizarding world fifteen months of time, before Voldemort attacked, again. And, hmm . . . I wonder who he attacked? Any ideas, son?"

"Us," Harry said softly.

"Yes, that's correct, Mr. Potter, and did you ever wonder why you didn't die along with us?" By now James's face was about an inch from Harry's.

Harry nodded.

"Because your pathetic Mudblood of a mother actually cared about you, she found away of protecting you, with help of course, someone sent us that chain your wearing around your neck, with a note that told us to put the chain around your neck from the time we the package reached us to the morning of All Hollow's Eve, and if we did so you'd be protected from Voldemort. I thought it was a joke, but of course your mother knew what it really was, and insisted that we did as the letter said. She met the same sticky end I did, and do you know what?

She was happy about dying, because she died saving you! God, Mudbloods are as stupid as they look!"

"SHUT UP!" Harry shouted, rage boiled up inside of him, his eyes were glowing fiercely.

James jumped, slightly, but regained his composure. "What did you say?" his voice was low, too low. 

"I said 'shut up!' I don't like when people insult my parents, especially my mum," Harry said, coldly.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you it's impolite to raise your voice to your betters? Oh, whoops, I forgot your mother's dead," high-pitched cruel laughter filled the room.

Harry's body was with shaking with fury, his hands were balled into fists, this wasn't his father, his father would never say anything like that. "Who are you?"

"I'm your father, Harry, and as your father it's my responsibility to tell you the truth about yourself, and the truth is . . .you are a murderer."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sirius thrashed, violently, as Remus tried to hold him down.

"That's not him, that's not him! Don't listen to him!" Sirius mumble.

Listen to who, Remus wondered, as he held Sirius down. 

Sirius relaxed, but kept mumbling the same words under his breath

"Harry . . . don't listen . . .not James . . .don't listen . . ." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Harry . . .don't listen . . .not James . . .don't listen . . .," said a voice inside Harry's head.

Sirius, Harry thought, what would Sirius do if he was pinned against a wall? Curse the guy, or punch his lights out, of course. 

"Don't think about cursing me, Harry, it wouldn't be a wise decision," James warned.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"For one thing it wouldn't work, and you don't even have your wand, for another," James pointed at the wand laying on the floor. James held his hand out, and the wand zoomed into it. "And for a third reason, I now have your wand." He flicked the wand, and strong ropes appeared from thin air, and bound Harry's hands, and legs together. Harry fell to the ground.

CRACK!

Harry's jaw cracked on the stone, but he could still move it without experiencing to much pain. "Why are you doing this? I don't want to do anything bad with the Eye, I just want to save my godfather's life."

"Sirius is here?" James demanded.

"Yes!" Harry said, struggling furiously with the ropes. "Please, let me go. I don't want to lose Sirius, too. PLEASE!"

James snapped his fingers, and he saw Sirius lying in a pool of blood, and shuddered. He clapped his hands, and the image of Sirius, and the ropes that bound Harry disappeared, and the door opened. "You've proven yourself, son." He handed Harry his wand back.

"Excuse me?" Harry asked, rubbing his wrists.

"You've proven that you would only use the Eye for good, Harry. Go on, take it!" James smiled before stepping aside. 

Harry ran to the pedestal, and pulled the seal out of his pocket, and placed it inside the Eye.

A green light shot out from the hole, that made Harry's scar burn. The Eye floated in mid-air, revolving on the spot. Faster, and faster. A blinding white, and green light filled the room, and a raw kind of power surged from the Eye, knocking both Harry, and James off their feet, pinning them to the ground. 

A minute later it all ended, the room looked as if it had been hit by a mini hurricane. Harry scrambled to his feet, and hurried over to the Eye.

The velvet pillow was covered in white wax, and the Eye was giving off a soft green light. Where there once was a gaping hole, the two small green diamonds had expanded, and joined together to form one smooth green diamond.

Harry peered into the diamond, and saw it was like a three dimensional pie graph that had been cut into thirds, one third of it was missing. 

"The third that is missing is used for raising the Army of the Dead, and killing one's worst enemy," James explained.

"So it's a good thing that I don't have it?" Harry picked up the Eye, it was surprising light.

"Yes, and no, because you can't destroy the Eye without the third piece, do you know where you threw the chain?"

"It skidded somewhere," Harry sighed.

"It will be glowing once the Eye is near it, just make sure you get it before Voldemort does, now hurry! Go to Sirius! Now!"

"Wait! How do I get the Eye to work?"

"Just tell it what you want it to do."

"Thank you!"

"GO!"

Harry nodded to James, grabbed the Eye and dashed out of the room. 

He sprinted down the stairs, and into the entrance. "Remus!"

"Harry?" Remus jumped to his feet when he saw Harry running toward him, the Emerald Eye clinched in his left hand. "You got it?"

"Yes! Is Sirius . . ."

"Yes, but you must hurry," Remus gasped torn between happiness that Harry was still alive, and anxiety that the Eye would not work. 

Harry flipped Sirius on his side, and held the Eye about an inch away from the wound, and said, "Heal this wound!" 

Remus raised his eyebrows at this, but quickly went slack-jawed when he saw a green light come from the Eye's pupil. A moment later the wound was gone, it looked as if it hadn't been there at all. The shirt Sirius was wearing even sewed itself back up. 

Harry, gently, laid Sirius back down.

"Ohhhh," Sirius moaned, blinking. "Harry, you're all right."

"Yep," Harry grinned from pure relief. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sirius ruffled Harry's hair. 

"As touching as this all is, Potter give me that Eye!" Voldemort demanded. 

"Sure, catch," Harry said, tossing Voldemort the Eye.

"Harry!" Sirius, and Remus yelped.

"Why did you do that?" Sirius demanded.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Voldemort screeched as his abnormally white hand was covered in black, scorching hot wax. 

The Eye rolled back over to Harry.

"Because I knew that would happen," Harry said as he searched for the chain, his eyes landed on Remus' jeans pocket, there was something glowing inside it. "Hey, Remus, have you seen that chain I was wearing before?"

"Oh, yes, it's right here," Remus dug the chain out, and handed it to Harry.

"Thanks," he placed the medal against the green diamond. 

The diamond inside the emerald expanded and the emerald melted into the diamond, which in turn melted in the Emerald Eye completing the pupil. 

Voldemort, who was busy holding his wax-covered hand, didn't notice this.

"Destroy yourself," Harry whispered.

The Eye didn't move.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked.

A booming voice came that seemed to come from the Eye itself.

**"Do you promise to protect this child, in** **body, and spirit, flesh, and blood, heart, and soul?"**

Sirius had heard this before, he knew he had, suddenly he knew what to do. "I do!" Then in a low voice, added, "Harry, put your hand against mine, and keep your eyes on me."

Harry placed his right hand against Sirius's, still holding the Eye in his left.

Sirius placed his left hand against the Eye, amazingly nothing happened to him. 

**"Now repeat after me, 'I, Sirius Orion Black, will guard , and honor this child's soul."******

"I, Sirius Orion Black, will guard , and honor this child's soul,"Sirius repeated.

**"Our souls are joined at this moment, and will remain this way until the end of time."**

"Our souls are joined at this moment, and will remain this way until the end of time," Sirius said, firmly. 

A jet pure white light shot out from their finger tips, Harry's went to the left, and Sirius's to the right.

"NOOOOOOO!" Voldemort screamed, and the two separate streams of light joined as one.

Like water from a shooting from a fountain the light shot the Emerald Eye into the air,

and it hung there for a full minute.

Harry felt a jerk behind his navel, and just before he was whisked away, he saw the 

Emerald Eye shattered into a thousand, shimmering shards. 

  


  



	12. The Wish

**__****__****__****__**Disclaimer: Not mine, J. K.'s, except what you don't recognize. Some things people may say lines from the Mummy Returns, Stephen Sommers has the rights to them, not I.************

**Special Thanks to my Beta Reader: ~*Dumbledore's True Love*~**

**Chapter 12: The Wish**

****__ "Ouch!" 

"Arg!"

"I experiencing a strange sense of deja vu, here!"

"SIRIUS!"

"Sorry," Sirius scrambled to his feet, noticing once again that most of his body was lying on Harry. "You okay?"

They nodded.

"Wonder where we are," Harry said, looking around. Green, and healthy trees surrounded them.

"The Forbidden Forest, by the looks of it," Sirius ran a hand through his hair.

"Close but no cigar, Sirius," said a voice, behind Sirius. 

"Ahh! What the hell are you doing here?!" Sirius shouted.

The whom, or what Sirius was shouting at was a man with sallow skin, and reminded Harry strongly of a vulture.

"Now is that anyway to talk to a vicar, Sirius?" the man said in an oddly familiar voice.

"Isis?" Harry, and Remus said in unison.

"I no longer go by that name," the vicar bowed to them. 

Sirius frowned at the vicar, it was the same one who Christiansen Harry, his brain was working overtime, "What happened to the real vicar?"

"Excuse me?" the vicar asked, alarmed.

"You heard me, you planned the whole thing to see if I was worthy to take care of Harry, and to accompany him on the search for the Eye. That's why you took us to the back room, that's why your exact words came from the Eye! That's why the whole white light circle thing happened! That's why you told me to take the Soul Bonding thing seriously, when we were talking in the tree! That's why Lily, and James told me a thousand times not to be late! And where are we, anyway!?"

The vicar nodded, "What do you think?"

"You sent the vicar on an extended vacation, you were astonished that_ I_ was worthy, and it wasn't my fault I was late, by the way. And the whole thing was completely legal because you were originally a friar!" Sirius said, advancing on the vicar. "Oh, and just because I wear black, and leather sometimes doesn't mean I'm a thug, I just look good in black, and leather."

"I knew there had to be a reason why one of the younger sisters kept looking for your fireplace in the Floo Book," the vicar said with a slight smile. "Everything else you are right about, including the extended vacation part."

"What does their Soul Bonding have to do with this?" Remus asked, curiously.

"What's a Soul Bonding?" Harry said, totally lost. 

"A Soul Bonding, Harry," the vicar said. "Is a very old, and very important wizarding custom, your very life could depend on it. A godfather in the Muggle world is almost the same thing, but also very different. In the Muggle world a godparent can also serve as a legal guardian in the event that the child's parents die, but in our world they actually serve a much more serious purpose. A godparent has to be carefully chosen, the parents have to know they can they can trust this person with their child's life.

"The true reason for all this precaution is a very old enchantment called The Connection. Not a terribly original name, but it serves its purpose, it connects a small part of one person's soul to another's."

Harry looked at Sirius in slight awe. "As soon as the Soul Bonding is cast, the godparent in question will be able to know when their godchild is in trouble, their hand will tingle, and they will get a flash of the place where their godchild is. Ever wonder how Arthur really found Merlin?"

"No way!"

"Yes way, Harry, Merlin did a subtle four-point spell on the Arthur just to make sure he got through the forest okay."

"Cool!"Remus said, impressed.

Sirius was pondering something while the vicar was explaining the Soul Bonding. "_YOU!_"

Harry, Remus, and the vicar spun around to face stormy faced Sirius. 

Sirius stomped back over to the vicar looking murderous. "It was you! You sent them the package! You scared them half-to-death! They thought it was going to hurt him!" He pointed at Harry. "Good thing Lily knew how to work that thing, how powerful was that thing, hmm? What if it backfired, or something? If anything happened to Harry . . . I . . ."

The vicar remained silent throughout Sirius's outburst, before saying, "Yes, Sirius, I did send Harry part of the Eye's core when he was a baby. I also knew that Lily could work the Eye, that's why Voldemort wanted to spare her, she was the only one who could work the Eye without getting her hand burned off by touching it."

"Get outa town!" 

"We aren't in a town Sirius, so I can't leave it," the vicar smiled. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying annoying Sirius. "Lily had an extraordinary talent in charms, she barely moved her wand, and without saying a word the charm would be preformed. From the moment she received her letter I've been watching her, wondering. She was powerful, more powerful then Dumbledore, but she never showed her power in public, so everyone thought that she was a normal witch, who always got top marks in charms. 

It was not until she was with child that she started using some of that power, she put protection charms on her child before he was even born. Sometimes I think she timed Harry's birth so it would be exactly at midnight, so in turn Voldemort had to take a little vacation. Did you know, Sirius, that she was the one that decided that you should be Harry's godfather?" 

Sirius shook his head, "I thought James . . ."

"No, the mother always picks her child's godfather, another wizarding custom. She made a very wise, and worthy choice."

Sirius felt his face go red, and ran a hand through his hair, embarrassed.

"She perform an ancient enchantment on Harry so Voldemort's curse would rebound on him, and Harry would live. The enchantment was so old, and forgotten that it only worked because the magic in her blood was coursing through her child veins, and the added protection of the Eye's power also strengthen that enchantment so much that you are still protected by it . Sadly, Voldemort now shares a part of that enchantment, that is why he thought he could touch the Eye without experiencing any pain, he was, of course, wrong."

"So the Eye is gone forever?" Harry said.

"Yes, and no. Yes because it can no longer cast spells, heal wounds, kill people, etc., and no because talismans never truly lose all of their magic. The magic in the Eye ran to deep to ever be snuffed out completely, but it will be a long time before we ever hear of it again. The ultimate test proved that."

"How?" Harry asked the same time Sirius snapped, "What?"

"The ultimate was a test of character, and judgement, not a duel. Any wizard, or witch can win a duel, or defeat a fearsome beast, especially if their intentions are evil, but in a test of true character only those who intentions are for the good of others will pass. You proved that you are a righteous person, and would only use the Eye to save your godfather's life, Harry. You are a true Gryffindor in every sense of the term, Godric Gryffindor would be proud."

A long silence follow this speech.

"I am sorry that we keep asking this, but _where _exactly are we?" Remus said.

"Dna Lofl Ostch Ildrensp Ar Ents, of course," the vicar said.

Harry look at the vicar in absolute bewilderment, this couldn't be the same place, where were the children? And why weren't the trees dead, and grey? In Dna Lofl Ostch Ildrensp Ar Ents grass was non-existent, but here the was plenty of it. 

The vicar seeing their perplexed looks said, "The Forest of Souls was placed under a horrible curse that would last for as long as the Eye existed, but now that the Eye has been defeated the curse has been lifted, see? Life has returned to it," He pulled back a tree branch.

No longer was the landscape grey, and desolate, but vibrate, and bursting with life. The children . . .they were gone! 

A musical laughter caused Harry to turn his attention to what was going on below the treetops. The children! There they were, alive! Laughing, running, playing! Their parents were there too, embracing their long lost children. Several children pointed out Harry to their parents.

"Thank you!"was shouted from every possible direction.

Harry smiled at the scene, so much joy in a place where there had once been so much sadness. He felt someone put an arm around his shoulders, and pull him close. He gazed up at Sirius, his large bright eyes sparkling. 

Sirius smiled, for awhile he wasn't sure he'd ever see those eyes again. Sadly, he reminded himself as he watched the parents taking their children home, again, that he could not do the same for Harry, offer him a home, a real home. Soon, he would have to go into hiding again, and it broke his heart to think of having to leave Harry in the clutches of the scum of humanity, the Dursleys, again. Sirius wished with all his heart that he was cleared that way Harry could live with him, and never have to the see the Dursleys again. Or better yet, as he chided himself for on a regular basis, told Dumbledore about the switch, or never gone after Pettigrew in the first place, but stayed with Harry that Halloween night so many years ago.

"Sirius?" Harry brought Sirius back to earth, they had been standing in silence for a full five minutes. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing in particular, why do you ask?"

"You have that look on your face, you know that pensive look."

"Arg, too much togetherness alert, the boy can read my facial expression, bad sign," Sirius pretended to edge fearfully away from Harry. 

"You are so weird," Harry rolled his eyes. 

"I know."

"As lovely as this place is, I think we should be getting back home," the vicar spoke up, then clapped his hands, once. 

Everything went blurry, and began to spin, faster, and faster, and faster then the speed of light, until it stopped.

The three of them were sprawled out on the grass of another forest.

Remus shook him head, an took a good look around, "The old Forbidden Forest."

"Is anyone hurt?" the vicar asked.

"No," Sirius said helping Harry to his feet. 

"Good, good, Harry?" the vicar addressed Harry.

"Yes, sir?" Harry replied.

"As a thank you for destroying the Eye, and breaking the curse on the Forest of Souls, I can grant you one wish."

Harry was shocked, "A-anything?"

"I do have limitations, I can't change the past, kill anyone, or bring anyone back from the dead, I'm sorry."

Harry nodded, sadly, but then a fantastic idea came to him, "C-could you clear Sirius? Please!"

"Now, that I _can_ do," the vicar smiled. "Sirius, do you agree with this wish?"

"I-I-I," Sirius stammered, realizing he was too shocked to talk, nodded fiercely. 

"Then say the magic words Harry!" the vicar raised his wand.

"I wish that Sirius was cleared!" Harry said, enthusiastically. The vicar bought his wand down, the spot where they were standing was engulfed in yellow light and golden sparks shot through the air.

A moment after the light had cleared, and everyone had gotten sparks in their hair, they heard a terrified scream come from the castle.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Harry, Sirius, and Remus looked at the vicar, who was smiling mysteriously,"Harry, Sirius, Remus, if I was you I'd hurry up to the castle, Minister Fudge has just found a rather familiar looking rat in his cup of herbal tea."


	13. The Truth Serum

**__****__****__****__** A/n: I'm baaaack, did you miss me? Sorry, I was sent away by the Whisperer who told me to go practice my so-called death scene, but I didn't die which is a GOOD thing.

**Whisperer: **(holding her idea-notebook) Sirius, what are you doing?

**Sirius: **Nothing (winks at readers), just talking to the people out there.

**Whisperer: **(shaking head) I don't want to know. This is the un-beta version, I'll fix it later.

**Sirius: **A very special thank you to all the people who reviewed the last few chapters, especially those reviewers who didn't want me to die. . . all of you! I feel so loved! 

**Thank-yous:** **vmr**, **Seeker_2000**, ***Wolf's Cry*, ~*Dumbledore's True Love*~, Ravenclaw_Filly**, **guess, Lin-z, Jedi Cosmos, Sandrine Black, Snidgey, Creamy Mimi, angel, sweets, Berkeley Halperin (I was just as shock, I thought I was her favorite character, but in the end she didn't kill me, so I guess I can't be _that_ mad at her =), Tschubi-chan (Whisp _is_ working on that flu story she promised, she hopes to get it out soon), Heather, Shadow (longest No award goes to you ;), Desert Hacker, sami, Avalon Princess, Kelzery, Fawkes, Lilly Potter, Fire Phoenix, Lucky Woods, jona, audiaa2 ( thank you), Miss Drew, Shayna Black, Kay, and summersun! _We love you guys!_**__

Disclaimer: Not mine, J. K.'s, except what you don't recognize. Some things people may say lines from the Mummy Returns, Stephen Sommers has the rights to them, not I. The first quote is from the movie 'A Few Good Men', and the other quote is said by Aslan, pg.141 in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, in other words I don't own them.

_"_ _The truth? You can't handle the truth!" _

_ "All shall be done, but it may be harder then you think."_********

**Chapter 13: The Truth Serum **

Sirius transformed into Padfoot, and bounded up toward the castle, Harry racing at the his heels.****

_Oh my God, Harry, have you lost your mind? _Sirius telepathed, trying to sound stern, but failing miserably. He began scratching at the heavy oak doors. _Wasting a wish on me?_

"I couldn't have thought of anything better to waste it on," Harry panted, hurtling up the stone steps, and threw the oak doors open.

"Potter!" Professor McGonagall yelled as the doors slammed shut with a bang.

Harry winched, he had to get to Dumbledore's office now, he had no time for a lecture on why slamming doors was improper behavior.

McGonagall said in a rush,"Dumbledore, Fudge, your godfather might be proven innocent! Password's Blue Raspberry Cotton Candy, hurry!"

"Thank you!" Harry called back, heading straight toward the stone gargoyle. "Blue Raspberry Cotton Candy." He said to the gargoyle, while Sirius thumped his tail impatiently, against the floor. 

The gargoyle sprang aside, and Sirius bowed to let Harry enter first, a sign of respect.

"Thanks," he said and enter the passageway to Dumbledore's office. The spiraling, escalator like stairs seemed to move faster then ordinary bringing them to Dumbledore's door. 

Just as Harry was about to knock on the door it opened for him. Cornelius Fudge stood in the threshold, holding the door open, and ogling at him.

"Where is he?!" Fudge shouted. "I know he's here, come on Potter out with it, where _is _Black?"

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about Minister Fudge," Harry brushed past Fudge, and walked over to Dumbledore.

"Hello Harry, I see you have emerged from your quest victorious," he said, cheerfully. "Did you meet the Guardian?"

"Yes sir," Harry said.

"Good, good, and speaking of guardians where has yours gotten to? I have a bit of news for him," Dumbledore's twinkling eyes fell to the dog lying at Harry's feet. "Hello Snuffles, have a nice trip?"

Sirius snorted. _Yeah, it was a lovely place, I can't decide which part I liked better the River of Rats, or the Banshee Choir, one was just better then the other. I might go back next year._

"Dumbledore, for heaven's sake! That dog is Black! Make him transform, go on, do it," Fudge said pointing a short finger at Sirius.

_No need, Albus, I'll do it myself, _with a crack like a whip Sirius the dog became Sirius the man. 

"S-s-sirius Black?" Fudge gasped, the man standing before him looked nothing like man he had seen in Azkaban. 

"Nah, I'm his evil twin, Cyprus Black,"Sirius rolled his eyes, and turned to Dumbledore. "What's the news you wanted to tell me?"

"Yes, umm . . . Cornelius made rather interesting discovery in his teacup, a familiar looking rat?" Dumbledore held up the squirming rat. "_Sugamina!_"

A blue light shot out of his wand, and hit the rat. A moment later Peter Pettigrew was lying on the floor in disarray, his limbs sticking out at odd angles.

"It can't be! It _can't _be! It's an illusion," Fudge whispered as a look of utter disbelief crossed his pale, pudgy face. "B-but you're dead."

Pettigrew got slowly to his feet, a cunning plan forming in his mind. "Sirius."

"Rat," Sirius said coldly.

"Harry," Pettigrew sneered, eyeing the boy with great displeasure. "Hello, again, I see you're alive, and well."

Harry backed away for Pettigrew, and stayed as close to Sirius as possible.

"Peter, where have you been these past fourteen years?" Dumbledore asked, his voice level. 

"Professor, Minister, I have been in hiding, I did not want _him _to come after me," Pettigrew said in a piteous voice. 

"How did you know Sirius was going to come after you if he was in Azkaban?"

"I knew he would, You-Know-Who taught him things, so that's why I went into hiding," Pettigrew said, playing up to the Minister.

"The Ministry would have given you protection," Fudge said stiffly.

Pettigrew bit his lip, summoning up the courage to say what he said next, "I knew I had to protect Harry from _Black_!"

"WHAT!" Sirius roared, in shock. 

Pettigrew turned to Sirius, "Yeah, Black, you were going to go after Harry, seduce him into believing you _actually _cared about him, and then take him to Voldemort."

"Are you_ mental_?" Harry snarled. "Sirius would never hurt me. Ever." 

No one could looked more astonished then Cornelius Fudge looked at that moment. "Y-y-you trust that murderer?"

"Of course he does," Pettigrew snapped. "Black's promised him things like, if he gets off Harry can live with him, but that's not true, is it Sirius?"

Harry wouldn't have been surprised if an icicle formed on Pettigrew nose under his godfather's icy glare. "The only liar here is _you_, rat."

"They're confounded, the both of them, Black and Potter," Fudge scoffed. "Completely insane."

Harry saw a flash of red, this wasn't working out the way it was supposed to, wishes were suppose to come true instantly, weren't they? "We are NOT confounded, you're just too childish to believe the truth when it's slapping you right in the face, it's the same thing with Voldemort rising again. Peter is an Animagi, that's how he got away from the explosion, which he caused, and cut his finger off at the scene to make it believable. Oh, and to prove he is working for Voldemort, look at his hand, it's silver."

Pettigrew laughed, high, and cold. "Silver hand? I have no silver hand, see for yourself Minster."

It was true, Pettigrew's silver hand was gone, and a normal flesh one was in it's place, with one a missing finger.

"Interesting, Mr. Pettigrew," Dumbledore said, finally. "Cornelius, may I suggest a truth potion?" 

"Why?" Fudge asked. 

"So we can finally hear the truth, if my memory serves me correctly Sirius never had a trial in the first place, and a trial by truth potion is the only kind of trial that in which _no_ mistakes can be made." 

Fudge thought about this for a moment before agreeing, as long as several Ministry officials were present, and the potion was made before his eyes. 

"All right, Sirius, Harry, you go with Minerva once she arrives here, Peter you will stay with me, and Cornelius why don't you contact the Ministry?" Dumbledore suggested.

Fudge grimaced. "Now, Dumbledore are you saying we leave Black alone with Potter? The man is mad, after all? Perhaps we should keep Pettigrew with Potter, hmm? He is less likely to harm the boy, and," his voice dropped, "we all know Potter is a few knuts short of a galleon."

Dumbledore shook his head,"Sirius _will_ go with Minerva, and Pettigrew _will_ stay here, you _will_ alert the Ministry, and Harry _will_ go with Remus Lupin."

Fudge could not find argument in that arrangement, "I'll wait until Lupin, and McGonagall get here before leaving." 

He had not long to wait, soon enough McGonagall, and Remus appeared at Dumbledore's door. Dumbledore explained the situation, and also told McGonagall to tell Severus Snape to bring up the materials to make the Veritaserum potion.

Remus lead Harry off into a side room that only had a desk, and a few armchairs. Harry turned back to see Sirius being lead down a staircase.

Remus put a hand on Harry's shoulder, "He'll be fine."

"What if he's convicted again? It would be my fault, it was my wish, and it was flubbed," Harry said, mournfully. "I seriously think I'm cursed."

Remus bit his lip, wishes couldn't be "flubbed," but this one definitely looked like it had been. "They're using Veritaserum, everything will work out . . ."

"But what if Snape messes it up, he hates Sirius, and maybe this is his demented way of getting revenge?" 

Remus sighed. Snape could do that, he was cunning enough, but would he? "No, Snape detests all Voldemort supporters, he'd like to see Pettigrew behind bars as much as you, and me do."

Harry flopped down into a chair, and buried his face in his hands. "How did Pettigrew get rid of his silver hand?"

"I don't know, Harry, I really don't," Remus felt confused, very confused. Pettigrew must have used some kind of dark magic to conceal the hand, but what?

Twenty minutes later, McGonagall walked in, Harry, and Remus leapt to their feet. "I must ask you two something, would you agree to give a testimony in the defense of Sirius Black under the influence of Veritaserum?"

"Yes," Harry, and Remus said in unison.

McGonagall looked from Harry to Remus, and back. "You understand the full effects of this potion?"

Remus nodded.

"Yeah," Harry lied. He, actually, had no idea about the effects of Veritaserum, but would do anything to help Sirius.

"The potion will be ready in an hour," she said, then retreated from the room. 

"Er . . . Remus what are the side-effects of Veritaserum, again?" Harry said, mildly.

Remus paled, "Harry, you don't know about them? At all?"

Harry shook his head.

"Harry!" he barked. "Are you mad? Telling McGonagall that you knew them, when you didn't? Good grief! When you take a truth potion, you can quite literally spill your guts out!"

"You mean you . . . blah?"Harry made a face like someone who had just thrown up.

Remus nodded, solemnly. "I really think you shouldn't Harry, you've been through enough already."

"No, I have to help Sirius, anyway I can, he risked his life to save me for the Eye's curse and I have to help him, I _have_ to Moony!" Harry gave Remus a pleading look. 

Remus sighed, it was hard to say no to those eyes. "You're becoming more like your father everyday, with a good mix of Sirius. I might never survive the two of you."

"Thanks Moony."

Remus smiled sadly, the fears of Sirius being convicted again kept creeping back into his mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour later, Harry, and Remus were lead to a dungeon room, Harry looked on the edge of a nervous break down.

Sirius was already in the room, seated next to Dumbledore, he jerked his head around to look at Harry, giving him a small smile.

****__Harry returned it, reluctantly, as he scanned the members of the Ministry carefully, a friendly face stood out. "Mr. Weasley? He knows Sirius is innocent! What's he doing here?"**__**

****__"He's head of his department at Ministry, I guess Fudge only wanted department heads," Remus said thoughtfully also scanning the Ministry members that would stand as a jury. "No way, David Christi? He hero-worshiped Sirius, he never thought he was guilty of anything! God, most of these people did, and still do have great respect for Sirius! Harry, do you think the Guardian has something to do with this?" 

Before Harry had a chance to reply, the trial begun. 

A dark robed man stood up,"Today we reopen the case of one Sirius Orion Black, the accused will be tried under Vertiaserum, as will Remus Lupin, and Harry Potter in Black's defense. Also today we will finally learn the truth behind Peter Pettigrew so-called death, in his _own_ words under Vertiaserum."

"What do you mean, David? Pettigrew is dead!" one women exclaimed.**__**

****__"Glenda, I assure you Peter Pettigrew is alive, and he is standing before us," the dark robed man called Miguel gestured to Peter Pettigrew, who didn't look as self-confident as he did before standing next to Severus Snape.

"Sirius****__Black, you fully understand the effects of this potion?" Christi asked.

"Yes," Sirius said flatly. Christi handed him a vial of crystal clear potion which Sirius downed in one gulp, making a disgusted face. A minute later a blank look covered Sirius's as though he wasn't quite sure of his own name, the serum had worked. 

"Were you James Potter's Secret Keeper?"

"No."

"Elaborate on that, Sirius."

So once again Sirius told the story of the Animagi transformation, the Secret Keeper switch, his going after Pettigrew, the escape from Azkaban, the Shrieking Shack, and so on.

Fudge was dumbstruck by this story.

Remus went next, his account of the Shrieking Shack episode intertwined with Sirius's perfectly.

"Now, Harry Potter do you _fully _understand the effects of this potion?" Christi asked, sternly.

"Yes," Harry said as he was handed a vial of Vertiaserum, and drank it quickly. His insides churned as if someone had turned a blender on is his stomach, it felt like a thousand tiny needles were being shot out of that blender's blades and piercing his sides, then it stopped. He felt nothing, but he knew that if he tried to lie the churning feeling would come back but worse. 

"Is Sirius Black guilty of betraying your parents?"

"No, he wasn't their Secret Keeper."

"Then who was?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

"How did you find this out?"

"In the Shrieking Shack, Sirius and Remus made Pettigrew transform, and then I finally found out the truth about my parent's betrayal."

"Is Black your godfather?"

"Yes."

"Have you stayed in contact with Black after he escaped Hogwarts?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Letters mostly, he comes to visit me as often as he can."

"How would you described your relationship with him?"

"Great."

"Has he ever intentionally hurt you?"

"No, once when I still thought he was a murderer we wrestled around a bit, but he spent most of the fight trying to stop me from strangling him before I found out the truth."

"I see," Christi nodded. "Has Black ever done anything to . . .,"he made a face, before saying, "Has Black ever sexually abused you?"

"_No._" Harry said, disgust creeping into his voice.

"That's all," Christi said handing Harry the antidote to the truth potion. 

Harry moaned slightly, as the antidote coursed through his body, he wasn't really sure what had just happed, and it hurt to think about it. He returned to seat next to Remus. 

As soon as he sat down again, Pettigrew was tried under the potion, and the entire room gasped as they heard the pleasure in his voice when he told of how he handed over the Potters to the Dark Lord, killing Cedric Diggory, and how he had been the one who had helped in the rebirth of Lord Voldemort. "And then he burned the Dark Mark into my left arm."

Without preamble, Christi yanked Pettigrew's sleeve up to show the faintly glowing Dark Mark that _had_ been burned into the skin. 

"Oh my Lord!" someone breathed. 

Christi told Sirius to show him his arm, it was bare. "Would we like to discuss a verdict now?"

"Yes," Mr. Weasley said, then he, and the other Ministry members filed out into a separate room. 

The web of lies that Pettigrew formed was unraveled like a ball of yarn, the knotted truth was finally being untangled and set straight. 

"How you feeling?" Remus whispered once the members had left.

"Like I just fell down nine flights of stairs," Harry rubbed his broken jaw. 

"It's the potion, just think about Sirius being set free, it will take some of the pain away," he squeezed Harry's hand comfortingly.

Harry nodded as the Ministry members filed back into the room.

"Have we reached a verdict?" Christi addressed the jurors.

A women stood, "Yes, we have, Arthur?"

****__"We agree that Peter Pettigrew is guilty of betraying Lily, and James Potter, and murdering twelve people, working for You-Know-Who, killing Cedric Diggory, and helping him regain power," Arthur Weasley said. "And even though he did escape Azkaban, and is unregistered Animagi, we believe his time in Azkaban, and on the run is enough punishment and on the grounds that he does register himself, we pronounce Sirius Black, on all grounds of offense, not guilty." **__**

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

****

****


	14. The End of It, All

**__****__****__****__**Disclaimer: Not mine, J. K.'s, except what you don't recognize. Some things people may say are lines from the Mummy Returns, Stephen Sommers has the rights to them, not I. If anyone has came up with Sirius's present before, then I give the rights to them. The quote Remus says belongs to Yogi Berra. All I really own is half a plate of mac, and cheese, so it's not worth trying to sue me, unless you have a craving for mac and cheese.

On a side note, I would like to allow a moment of silence for what happen at the World Trade Center, Tuesday. *silence* Thank you, I hope you, and your families are safe, and I like to express my condolences to anyone who lost a friend or family member in this tragedy. 

****

**Chapter 14: The End of It, All****__**

****__ Harry's head swam, did****__they really say what he thought they had? Was Sirius really free? This was a dream come true.

"Sirius, do you agree with this?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Yes," Sirius said quietly, not truly believing what was really happening himself.

"Also," Mr. Weasley continued, "in light of this new information we must formally announce that You-Know-Who has indeed risen again."

Harry would have loved to have had a camera to capture the look of terror on Fudge's face, he wasn't going to enjoy telling the whole wizarding world that Lord Voldemort had finally returned.

"Case dismissed!" several Ministry members hurried over to talk to Sirius. 

"Guard," Christi said to a man standing in the shadows, "Would you mind handcuffing Pettigrew?"

"No, guv'or," an Azkaban official quickly went to work magically handcuffing Pettigrew, who was in a state of shock. 

Once regaining his senses, Pettigrew's sharp little eyes focused on the two people responsible for his arrest, Harry Potter and Sirius Black. The little brat was talking to Black very fast, and Black was nodding, and laughing like there was nothing else was wrong with the world. 

_What those two don't know, _Pettigrew thought as official began leading him away. 

As a last testament to his sanity, for he knew that he was going to lose his mind very soon, he could never be as strong as Black, he couldn't last, and he could never transform in Azkaban, they would put spells so he couldn't, that was for sure. But for now Pettigrew wanted to give Black, and his beloved godson something to think about. "**_BLACK!_**"

Sirius, and Harry turned to face Pettigrew, supreme hatred shown on both their faces.

Pettigrew's mouth curved into something between a glazed smile, and a sneer when he saw Black had a protective hand on Potter's shoulder. "I wouldn't get to attached to Potter if I was you Black, it could be hazardous to your health."

Sirius glared defiantly, and simply pulled Harry closer.

"If that is your decision then," Pettigrew nodded, and then cried, "you _will _feel the wrath of Lord Voldemort, Sirius Black, worse then any other!"

Harry wiggled out of Sirius's death grip, and stood in front of his godfather shielding him from Pettigrew.

"Put a silencing spell on that piece of filth," Christi snapped at the Azkaban official.

"Yes, guv'or," the official obliged by immediately casting the spell on Pettigrew. 

"Ignore him," Sirius said softly, putting his hands on Harry's shoulders. "He's lying, nothing's going to happen to me. Let's get up to the hospital wing, and get fixed up, okay?" 

Harry didn't reply, he was still glaring at Pettigrew. 

Pettigrew smiled maliciously back at Harry before he was pushed out of the room, and out of Harry's life, forever.

"Harry, come on," Sirius nudged Harry in the direction of another door leading up to the main floor of the castle. "We still have the wrath of Poppy Pomfrey to deal with."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh no! Not you two again!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed, seeing her most frequent visitors enter the hospital wing. 

"Did you miss us?" Sirius asked, collapsing on the nearest bed.

Pomfrey glowered at Sirius and pointed to a bed next to Sirius's, "Potter, lie down there, and _don't _move, I'll be right back." 

Harry, gladly, plopped down onto the soft mattress. "How's it feel to be free?"

"Wonderful, I owe you so much," Sirius turned to face his godson, grinning ear to ear.

"You don't owe me anything, I owe you."

"How?"

"You saved my life for starters," Harry reminded him, "dealt with more disgusting things then I care to mention, and you're my godfather."

Sirius rolled his eyes, "You saved _my _life too, not to mention my soul once."

"That's very nice, Mr. Black," Madam Pomfrey shuffled in holding the oddest assortment of gadgets Harry had ever seen. "According to Dumbledore you two have been through a lot of _unsanitary_ places. A river of rats, is that true, Black?"

"We did charms to protect ourselves from getting infected," Sirius explained. 

"Really, if I was charging you, I could happily retire to Florida by now," Madam Pomfrey shook her head, absentmindedly."Which one of you will be the bigger man, here?"

"Harry, you're much braver then I'll ever be so . . ."

"Me? You're the adult!" 

"He has a point Mr. Black," Madam Pomfrey twirled her wand between two fingers. 

Sirius shrugged, and went into a separate room to be check out, Madam Pomfrey joined him after telling Harry to stay put once again.

Harry heard her gasp several times at some of Sirius's injuries, and him protesting that they were only scratches. "Are you sure you haven't damaged your brain?"

"Quite," Sirius said cheekily. 

"I'd slap you if you weren't already injured."

Harry shook his head, Sirius could charm anyone into anything. 

Sirius strutted out of the adjoining room, a bandage wrapped around his upper right arm, but still grinning ear to ear. "You're turn, bud. Beware her wand, it stings." 

Harry giggled, as Madam Pomfrey stuck her head into the main room,"I just can't wait to see what has happened to you, Potter, lost another few bones again, no doubt."

"Again?" 

"I'll tell you later, Sirius," Harry said, quickly heading into the other room, before Sirius could interrogate him. 

Madam Pomfrey was less then pleased at the newest set of cuts, and scraps Harry had acquired, muttering things like, "Potter, I swear!" or "Never in all my born days!" Harry yelped when she prodded his jaw. "Potter, how can you talk with this?"

Harry shrugged, "It didn't hurt that much before, but it aches when you touch it."

"It's a fair break, you shouldn't have been able to talk without experiencing a good bit of pain," Madam Pomfrey tapped his jaw line with her wand, the bone snapped back into place almost as if it had never been broken at all. "I'm going to rub something on that, it's going to burn, though." She rubbed some yellowish cream where the break had been that looked and smelt very much like Vaseline. 

"Ouch," Harry said through gritted teeth. 

"I said it would burn, now go join your godfather, and help him plot your next scheme to be injured again," Madam Pomfrey waved him out.

"Thanks," Harry gave her a lopsided-grin, before leaving.

Sirius greeted him with raised eyebrows, "What happened to your jaw?"

"It's just a scratch," Harry said imitating Sirius's self-confident voice. "Where'd Remus go, anyway?"

"Dumbledore wanted me for a minute," Remus said, coming into the hospital wing.

"Lupin?" Madam Pomfrey shot Remus a cold questioning look. "I'm to be examining you next, I'm guessing."

"Er . . .yes," Remus said timidly.

"Fine, wait for me in that room, I'll be in as soon as I finish with these two," she gestured to Harry and Sirius.

"Okay," Remus went into the room. 

"Now," Madam Pomfrey began, "I want both of you to drink this sleeping potion, and be nicely in dreamland by the time I am done with Lupin, understand?" 

They nodded.

Satisfied, Madam Pomfrey placed two goblets on the night table in-between the two beds, left to tend to Remus. 

Sirius got up from his bed, and sat down next to Harry, "Happy Birthday, by the way."

"Thank you," Harry said faintly, his jaw still hurt a little.

"I got you something," he held up a box wrapped in silvery paper, "I had left it here, at Hogwarts, because I didn't know if I was going to be seeing you before your birthday, so . . .but I don't know if you'll like it . . ."

"You being freed is the best present in the world," Harry cut him off, "I still get to live with you, right?"

"No, Harry, I'm sending you back to the Dursleys since they're such fine, upstanding citizens," Sirius's eyes sparkled with silent laughter at the look of complete horror on Harry's face. "Joking, joking! Of course you can, I want you to, I'd love to have you." 

Harry's face lit up with joy.

"As I was saying before," Sirius said, changing the subject. "I did get you something, but it's horribly sentimental, I guess I was having an Everyone-Says-I-Love-You day." 

Harry carefully took the box from Sirius, and started opening it.

"If you don't like it, I understand--"

"It's beautiful!" awe filled Harry's voice as he held a silver ball a little bigger then a softball, bright as a Patronus, that glittered in all the colors of the moonlight.

Sirius's face lit up, "It's an E-Ball, it can simulate emotions."

"How's it work?"

"It's really simple, you just think about a feeling, or emotion like . . .what do you think of when you cast a Patronus?"

"Flying," Harry said simply. 

"Focus on that feeling, and sweep a finger down the surface of the ball, and if all goes as it's suppose to the mist inside will change color, each color represents an emotion."

Harry closed his eyes, and imagined that wonderful feeling that he felt whenever he dived on the Firebolt, did a daring move, or was in hot pursuit of the golden Snitch. He swept one finger down the smooth, circular surface of the ball. When he reopened his eyes the ball had turned dark blue.

"Now, whenever you want to experience that emotion just touch the ball thinking of that color, and you will feel that emotion."

_Dark blue,_ Harry thought as he touched the now silver ball, and a before he knew what was happening he felt like he was really in the air, soaring amongst the clouds on his Firebolt. "_Wow!_"

"You like it?" Sirius asked, hopefully.

"I love it, it's wonderful! Thank you!" 

"No need to thank me," Sirius ran a hand through his hair nervously, and looked away because his face had turned a brilliant shade of red.

Harry carefully placed the ball on the night stand that was between the two beds, and threw his arms around Sirius's neck. He felt Sirius put his arms around his waist, and pull him close.

"Do you think what Wormtail said was the truth?" Harry breathed as he buried his face into his godfather's chest, fear evident in his voice. 

Sirius shook his head, "I don't know, that rat _can_ act, but sometimes the lines blur for even the best actor, he or she sometimes can't tell the difference between the play and reality. He could have been just be trying to scare us, or he could have been giving us a warning, I don't know." He rested his chin on Harry's soft unruly black hair, and tightened his grip around him, not wanting to let go, worried that of he did he'd lose him again, maybe forever.

Harry snuggled closer, he didn't want to be let go, the same fear was running through his mind, but as long as those arms stayed around him he felt, for perhaps the first time in his life, truly safe. 

"I don't hear any snoring in there!"

Startled, Harry jumped, but didn't break away. 

"Whoops," Sirius reluctantly let go of Harry. "I guess we better take that potion now, before she goes loco on us."

"Yeah," Harry said as Sirius scrambled back onto his own bed, "pleasant dreams." He downed the potion in one gulp, took his glasses off, and brushed the E-ball with one finger. It turned a warm orange, the color of firelight. Harry curled up under the covers, and relaxed back on the pillows and fell asleep.

_The wind whipped around Harry, blowing his hair back, a sudden strong gust knocked him off his feet, and into utter blackness._

_ The world seemed to spin below him, a never-ending swirling vortex that was threatening to suck him down into the unknown, oblivion itself. A loud crash, and a blast of air sent him spiraling head-over-heels away from the vortex, and onto a dusty cobblestone floor. _

_ Dazed and dizzy, Harry wobbled to his feet, and took in his surroundings dirt, dust, and neon green cobwebs hung from the ceiling. Something caught his eye, thousands of shards of glittering emeralds, and diamonds. _

_ An abrupt gust of wind picked up the shards up in a cyclone-like fashion, and plucked Harry up also as if he no weighed more then a shard himself._

_ Through dense forests, across scorching deserts, over storm-tossed seas, and into bustling towns and cities Harry, and the shards were blown. Long ago he had realized some kind of magic was at work here, but what? Through an owlery window he was blown, down through a castle he was blown. Twisting through corridors, shooting down stairways, through secret passageways. Down, down, down!_

_ FLOP!_

_ Harry was flung, unceremoniously, to the ground. A mold of dust blew up around him, covering his hair, clothes and glasses. He was in some sort of underground tunnel, the walls, and floor were covered in grime that felt rough against Harry's soft skin, the only thing in the tunnel besides himself was a stone torch holder with an ancient torch with intricate cravings resting in it. Above his head the shards still floated in a cyclone like formation. Into the torch they blew, a gigantic green flame rose up, lighting the dark, musty tunnel, illuminating a message craved into the stone tunnel's far wall._

_ **Here I hang, welded to the wall**_

**_ Waiting for the chosen one to my call._**

**_ My power once dormant, and weak_**

**_ Is now strong enough to make the entire earth quake._**

**_ Thy true enemy will fail,_**

**_ If thy will hail my call._**

**_ Only one whose heart is brave and true will manage wield me,_**

**_ the Guardian of Gryffindor is you!_**

****_Half a second later the flamed was snuffed out, and Harry was violently flung into the endless darkness once again._

"NO!" Harry screamed, jerking out of his sleep, and sitting straight up in bed, soaked in sweat and panting.

"What in heavens' name?" Madam Pomfrey brought her head up sharply from the a letter she had been writing. 

Harry's heart was still pounding when he replied, "Nothing, where's Sirius?" The dream was leaving his memory faster than water pouring out of knocked over glass.

"Down in the Hall, he went to go get breakfast for you and himself," she shook her head, "amazing how he knew that you were going to wake up now."

Harry gave her a surprised look, "What?"

"I told him that it was pointless, you were sleeping so soundly that I didn't think you would wake up for hours, and he just said 'give him a few minutes, he'll be up,' odd isn't it?"

"I know I'm odd, no need to shout it for the world to hear," said an eerie voice from the doorway. Sirius Black was casually leaning against the door-frame, holding a breakfast tray in his left hand, his bangs falling in his eyes. "I've been odd since you caught me up at 3 A. M. reading Tolkien, and my only excuse was that I like to read."

Madam Pomfrey clutched her heart, "Don't _do _that, Black! You're going to give me a heart attack with that sneaking up thing of yours' one of these days. On a side note, I have nothing against you reading, but you were _only _thirteen at the time."

Sirius quirked a small smile, and layed the tray down on the night stand, "Good morning, Har."

"'Morning Sir, what's up?" By now it felt like to Harry that his memory had been completely wiped of the dream, and had no recollection of it. "And how long did we sleep?"

"You finally, and it was 'round five PM when we took the potion so we just slept through the night," he said, busying himself with the tray. Madam Pomfrey left to finish writing her letter in the other room. "Harry?"

"Yeah?"

Sirius whispered something in Harry's ear, that brought a huge grin to the teenager's face. "Do you think?"

"Nah," Sirius twirled a wand made of dark wood that Harry had never seen before between his fingers. "Oh, yes, your wand, thanks for letting me borrow it." He handed Harry's wand back to him.

Harry ran his fingers over the familiar stick, "You got yours' back?"

"Yes, they move amazingly fast when they wrongfully imprison someone, 14 inches, dogwood, dragon heartstring." 

"I ought of known, _dog_wood."

Sirius swatted at him, playfully, missing of course.

"Good morning, guys!" Remus said cheerfully walking into the hospital wing. 

"Morning," they said in unison. The three of them chatted for a few minutes, when a scream, and a loud bang went off.

"POTTER! BLACK! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!"

Simultaneously, Harry and Sirius burst out laughing like maniacs.

Remus, confused, stuck his head into the adjoining room. Fireworks were whizzing everywhere, filling the normally plain white room with an array of color.

_"Where are they?!"_ Madam Pomfrey screeched, dodging the fireworks that had been place under her chair. "_When I get my hands on them!!!!_"

Remus pulled his head away, and turned to Harry and Sirius, who by now were clutching their stomachs from laughing. He willingly joined in, managing to gasp, "It's deja vu, all over again."

None of them ever noticed that a white cat with glowing green eyes was watching them through a window. He flicked his tail, holding back his own laughter as the nurse started to tell them off. The boy had his mother's blood, though his outward appearance greatly resembled his father's. He had her power. It still layed dormant, but soon he would realize it. This was only the beginning for one day he would fulfill a great prophecy. Yes, one day.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Ta da! It's _finally _done! *sobs* So how was it? Would anyone like a sequel? Feel free to ask.

Sirius: It's really over? 

Whisperer: Yep!

Sirius: I have to leave now?

Whisperer: Who said anything about you leaving? *winks*

Sirius: On to the thank yous: Thank you to all those who ever read, or reviewed this story, you are what kept Wisp going. ::hugs::

Both: Bye . . . for now.

  
  


  
  



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